Sonochronotopia: Sound, Time, Space
Yeonwoo Kim
Sonochronotopia is an interactive installation reimagining time as a fluid, multi-sensory experience beyond digital screens. By integrating light, shadow, and sound within a dynamic physical space, it transforms the abstract notion of global time zones into something tangible and immersive, evoking a form of synesthesia where time is not just observed but deeply experienced.
At the heart of the installation, a 30x30 spherical lighting structure symbolizes the Earth. Viewers engage with the installation by scanning QR codes embedded within the space, each linked to specific geographic coordinates. As they scan the codes, subway melodies from cities across the world are activated, accompanied by dynamic visual projections of the rotating sphere, where particles represent population density. Viewers are immersed in an interplay of sight, sound, and motion—experiencing time not as a fixed sequence but as a lived phenomenon.
Time is inherently relative, shaped by individual perception, culture, geography, and movement. A single moment can be perceived differently across the globe—sometimes distinct, sometimes shared. This installation draws upon light and shadow, fundamental indicators of time shaped by the sun for centuries. As light shifts and shadows move within the space, viewers are invited to reflect: How do we truly perceive time? Is it something we feel in the subtle dance of illumination and darkness? Sonochronotopia seeks to engage, educate, and inspire, revealing how time is structured yet fluid, universal yet personal.