About the Project
PROMOTING INCLUSIVENESS THROUGH PUBLIC ART THAT EMPHASIZES THE HUMAN VOICE
Voices of the City underscores the public experience with positive and informative sound design to promote areas such as education, inclusiveness, integration, and travel. This project aims to bridge cultural borders, fomenting a greater appreciation and familiarity with cultural diversity, ultimately reducing segregation and separatism.
Mission
The mission of the project is to expose citizens to the vast variety of resources and culture Chicago has to offer, thereby encouraging greater integration. This will help to reduce separatism, ultimately creating a friendlier environment that contributes to economic vitality. Moreover, by exposing people to informative sound mosaics, we can familiarize ourselves with, and celebrate the rich variation of linguistic and inflective diversity in the Chicago area.
Approach
The project is to audio record a group of racially and ethnically diverse people from across the metropolitan area. Participants are asked two questions: 1. Where are you from? and 2. What's your favorite place in the city/ suburb? Their responses are woven into a multi-voice tapestry resulting in original sound collages.
Thus far, 350 voices have been recorded from 22 Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs. The project goal is to reach 1000 voices by Fall 2019.
Areas visited throughout the Chicago area include:
Lincoln Park
Logan Square
Little India
Rogers Park
North Riverside
Oak Brook
Lombard
Glen Ellyn
Oak Park
River Grove
University Village/ Little Italy
Wicker Park
South Loop
Chatham
Auburn Gresham
Washington Park
Hyde Park
Whiskey Row
Bronzeville
Chinatown
Humboldt Park
Presentation
These days, audio messages have become increasingly ubiquitous. For example, In 2000, technological advances introduced audio announcements to public transit that inform passengers about the status of a given ride. In addition to informative announcements, audio advertisements have been introduced to the public experience.
So we asked, Why not utilize this pre-existing technology to promote diversity and education through creative sound design?
Voices of the City is currently approved to be broadcast on Pace Suburban Bus. For more information on where you can hear the sound collages, visit our Current Work page.
