Sound, Media Art, and the Metaverse

The author discusses the fundamental role of sound in global cultures, introduces related perceptual and scientific phenomena such as synesthesia, and provides an overview of their relationship to the development of transmodal multimedia art and design forms emerging at the intersection of physical and digital media, including wireless technologies, social networks, and ubiquitous computing. The article is an edited version of the introductory address given at the opening event of Si15 Soundislands Festival, on Wednesday 19 August 2015, at the Arts House, Singapore.