…produces a participatory auditory experience where visitors form their own soundscapes through movement and interaction.
During this trajectory, Yu aim to explore how auditory experiences, personalized sound maps, and interactive soundscapes can create immersive environments that foster reflection and connection for both individuals and groups.
“I’m particularly interested in how sound as a medium can encourage engagement with one’s physical and social context.”
Additionally, she wants to research ways to better adapt interactive installations for various contexts and audiences, especially in public and multi-user setups. She will also focus on refining the technical aspects of the listening devices and interactive interfaces, improving their portability, usability, and adaptability, with the goal of developing more seamless real-time interaction systems for creating personalized sound journeys.
“Ultimately, I hope to create an installation that fosters creativity and engagement, while pushing the boundaries of interactive technology and sound art.”
About Yu
Dr. Yu Zhang has a background in fine arts and design. In her Ph.D. research, she investigates the theory and artistic practice of interactive technologies for public, large-scale installations. Over the past years, she has designed and researched interactive systems that respond to Everyday phenomena, environmental concerns, child-system interaction, online collaboration platforms, and uncertainty in data visualization. Yu has participated in various international art residencies in recent years, and her work has been exhibited at solo and group exhibitions, including Ars Electronica, Athens Digital Arts Festival, Impakt Festival, Dutch Design Week, Beijing Design Week, Mozilla Festival, and PACT Zollverein. As an educator, Yu’s teaching experience covers a broad range from traditional classrooms and workshops to design-led project-based learning activities. As a design researcher, she recently had a paper published in prestigious conferences such as ISEA, CHI, and NordiCHI. Her book “Coding Art”, co-authored with Dr. Mathias Funk, was published by Apress/Springer in 2021. Its Japanese edition was released in June 2023, followed by the second edition in January 2024. Currently, Yu is working and living in the Netherlands.
