Two people walk through "The Radial Sonic Runway," which visualizes sound waves rippling across the desert. Twenty-five gates with LED spokes form a corridor stretching out into the open playa, through which participants can walk or bike. A microphone at one end triggers patterns of light that ripple out at the speed of sound. The original Sonic Runway, in 2003, was one-dimensional – a streak of strobe lights triggered by each bass thump. In 2016, we added another dimension – each gate was illuminated with a string of LEDs, allowing for complex patterns representing different frequencies. With this new piece, audio waves can truly reshape the space itself. As it picks up sound and music, the Radial Sonic Runway twists, pulses, and ripples to life!
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Photo by: George Post

Year: 2024

Image Caption: 

Two people walk through "The Radial Sonic Runway," which visualizes sound waves rippling across the desert. Twenty-five gates with LED spokes form a corridor stretching out into the open playa, through which participants can walk or bike. A microphone at one end triggers patterns of light that ripple out at the speed of sound. The original Sonic Runway, in 2003, was one-dimensional – a streak of strobe lights triggered by each bass thump. In 2016, we added another dimension – each gate was illuminated with a string of LEDs, allowing for complex patterns representing different frequencies. With this new piece, audio waves can truly reshape the space itself. As it picks up sound and music, the Radial Sonic Runway twists, pulses, and ripples to life!

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