SONA – EXPLORATIONS IN SONIC VR

SONA – an auditory virtual reality installation that radically shifts our perception: We enter a darkened room of ten by ten meters, in which no visual signal offers orientation. Instead, motion capture systems and sensory shoes record every movement and translate it into sound. Steps crunch in the snow, rustle through the forest, or glide over sand, walls can be felt via acoustic reflections, will-o’-the-wisps lure with voices. This creates an acoustic labyrinth in which we learn to see with our ears. The development of SONA is based on close collaboration with blind and visually impaired people who have contributed, tested, and helped shape their perspectives, ideas, and experiences. Thus, the work not only represents an aesthetic innovation, but also an inclusive practice that asks: How do we navigate and interact when only spatial audio is available to us? SONA opens up a new form of immersive storytelling that is equally fascinating for people with and without visual impairments and redefines the possibilities of VR.