Standing Wave

May 10, 2025 through October 31, 2025

Standing Wave

Step Into Standing Wave: Where the Sun and Sound Converge
Standing Wave is an innovative temporary art installation that transforms urban heat into captivating sonic art. Created by Shomit Barua, this undulating canopy—woven from flexible wood—immerses visitors in a unique, solar-powered soundscape. Using “circuit-bending”, or repurposing of simple electronics, the installation’s solar-powered modules convert heat and sunlight into sounds that evoke the flow of water, the chattering of insects, and the chorus of birds. As you walk beneath the shade, reflect on the seen and unseen forces shaping our environment, and our place within it.

“My hope for Standing Wave is to encourage people to tune in to our surroundings, to think about how we are influenced by forces that are beyond what we can see. I’d love for people to be more grounded in the present, to feel more connected with each other by recognizing that we are always subtly and inextricably woven into the environment.”

Shomit Barua

Project Description

Standing Wave was a bold and innovative exploration using sunlight to transform a space into a captivating, contemplative sculpture of sound. Resembling a fluid waveform, a lightweight undulating lattice woven from strips of flexible wood serve as a canopy and houses 30 solar-powered modules. Standing Wave converted environmental conditions, like heat and sun rays, into a synthesized soundscape using “circuit bending” technology. As visitors walked through the structure, they entered an augmented acoustic space, with electronic sounds that emulate chirping birds, chattering insects, and the ebb and flow of water. Shomit’s installation asked that we contemplate our influence on the environment, and to appreciate the richness of our sound ecology.

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