Ecoacoustics is an interdisciplinary field that studies sound along a broad range of spatial and temporal scales to understand environmental changes (Sueur & Farina 2015). Listening to changing environments through virtual creative experiences can evoke empathetic responses that can inspire ecological engagement and climate action (Monacchi 2013; Burtner 2011; Voegelin 2014). Biosphere Soundscapes is an interdisciplinary research project mapping the changing soundscapes of UNESCO biosphere reserves. Holocene is an immersive sound environment drawing on a large database of Biosphere Soundscapes recordings and live streams. The title references the current geological epoch and explores tensions present in biosphere reserves, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenges and contradictions of sustainable development.
Holocene is a twelve-hour immersive soundscape presented in full surround sound within a custom designed geodesic sound dome. The responsive installation mixes composed soundscapes with live audio streams from different ecosystems within biosphere reserves including the Brazilian Amazon, Mexico, Columbia, India, Cambodia and Australia. The work uses an original spatial design to provide a deeply immersive experience in diverse ecosystems that are usually inaccessible, such as the rainforest canopy and ocean floor. Holocene has advanced both scientific and artistic knowledge in ecoacoustics by demonstrating the value of high-quality audio in facilitating deep listening and engagement with ecological complexity through acoustic data and immersive audio.
Holocene was commissioned for Sites of Connection, an exhibition developed over a 3-year period hosted at USC Art Gallery and funded through a competitive national grant from the Australia Council for the Arts. Excerpts from the live streams and final audio work have featured internationally as part of the 50th Anniversary of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Paris and Spain, the 2021 World Conservation Congress in Germany, COP26 in Glasgow and during Barclay’s 2021 keynote at the International Australian Seascapes conference at Trier University in Germany.