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The first sonic map of Indianapolis is creating waves as part of a new installation. Combining photographs, lights, rocks, illustrations and of course sound "Cities and the Field" is an interactive exhibit that presents an acoustic representation of Indy.
The project is an experimental alternative to city branding and planning created by Stuart Hyatt, a local artist and composer.
"A huge part of what I've been doing is trying to get people's thoughts and ideas and emotions about their specific place in the city," says Hyatt.
The work is inspired by Italo Calvino’s 1972 novel "Invisible Cities" and is meant to explore the ordinary uniqueness of modern life.
To create the sonic map, Hyatt walked a 20-mile stretch of Washington Street collecting ambient audio, conducting interviews and recording the pulse of Indy.
"There are such hopefull parts, such depressed parts," says Hyatt, "but everyone there has a unique story to tell that I found really moving."
The sound from the mapping effort has also been turned into an album called "The National Road" an online collaborative work.
"Cities and the Field" opens Friday, April 4 at 6 p.m. as part of First Friday at the Harrison Center for the Arts.
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