Sonic Bloom, a community-focused, multi-sensory installation exploring the nature of communication through the interactive deployment of sound launched in Mayfair in August 2021.
Curated by Alter-Projects and designed by sound artist, designer, and electronic musician, Yuri Suzuki, the sculpture will be located in Brown Hart Gardens, North Mayfair, within minutes of Oxford Street. Opening on August 23, 2021, Sonic Bloom is a playground of sound rebuilding a sense of community in London after a year of isolation. Sonic Bloom is a social catalyst in the form of a ‘phygital’ experience that not only compels participants to engage with the installation on an artistic level, but also invites them to explore the very essence of human connection.
Sonic Bloom consists of a physical installation in Brown Hart Gardens and of a parallel digital experience that will launch during the London Design Festival in September. The installation itself is a network of colourful horn-shaped elements that together create a magical, interactive flower. The sculpture amplifies the sounds absorbed from the surroundings and transports voice recordings from people at street level through its stems.
Sonic Bloom is not only a public artwork but a communication tool that invites participants to listen on one side, and speak on the other, all the while observing social distancing measures and Covid-19 safety regulations. On one hand, it enhances the music of the city that often goes unnoticed: birdsong, leaves rustling and passers by going about their daily business. On the other hand, it invites visitors to record their own voices through the horns, emerging on the other side of the listening tubes.
The digital version of Sonic Bloom translates the magic of the physical installation into a format that can be shared globally. Through an innovative website platform, participants’ voice recordings are transformed into flower animations which are randomly planted on a map of Mayfair. Participants can record their voices on the website, and can invite others to collaborate on their Sonic Bloom flower design.
“Following the success of Wander Art, we want Sonic Bloom to inject London with the same level of vibrancy and joy, as the city emerges from lockdown. This project establishes Mayfair as a platform for art and community to collide, bringing locals and visitors together in the creation of a diverse and welcoming community. Yuri Suzuki is ideal for the task because his art is not only stunningly beautiful, but also stimulates spectators’ senses. Together, we are envisioning a space in the heart of London, where visitors can play, relax and connect” says Anne-Laure Pingreoun.
Yuri Suzuki devised Sonic Bloom to capture three audible themes; people, nature and the surrounding environment - and blend them into an exploration of universal communication.
Sonic Bloom seeks to facilitate human interactions in spaces where they don't usually occur through an installation that not only invites people to communicate with each other, but to engage with their surrounding environment.
“We aim to encourage connections with friends and strangers creating serendipitous audible moments that create a sense of community, shared creative ground and sociability. We are proposing a multi-dimensional experience where visitors can exchange conversation, paving the way for social connectivity. These temporary connections create an incentive to form a closer, more intimate human connection where a friendship could flourish” said Yuri Suzuki.