Audio Arc

BACKGROUND: Shifting passive observers and into the role of producers is one of the hallmarks of C20th art. Audio Arc exists at the intersection of participation in digital art and gaming. Unlike the work of such researchers as Iverson and Drury in their Neighbourhood Narratives, and de Koven reusing the everyday, this work it is more akin to Obrist and Sehgal in the crossover of improvisational participatory art and performance and Park's (KAMPO) research on interaction methods for mobile phones as musical instruments as it investigates mobile phones re-signified for both ludic and collaborative locative sound art and play. CONTRIBUTION: Audio Arc is the first pervasive game to use the inherent default audio ringtones of mobile phones to create spatial soundscapes. Each time it is played a unique soundscape is generated from player numbers, choice of ringtone and inherent site acoustic qualities. This experimental game promotes acoustic and sensory awareness in a co-located social context. Rules and organization are minimised so players may focus on the experience of navigating space using the ringtones as audio cues. The unique soundscape generated in different performance spaces draw attention to our audio-spatial senses, belying the more profound contemplation of the role of the human senses in orientation with an environment. While smart phones are constantly used to connect friends and associates in different locations, the experience of connecting to strangers in one's direct proximity via a mobile phone is much less common. SIGNIFICANCE: Audio Arc was developed at a GEElab, RMIT sponsored workshop with Heather Kelley as part of the ANZ Games for Change. In the C&C setting this work facilitated discussion across cognitive science, computer science, design, arts, music, education and psychology experts about the human capacity to creatively solve problems and produce novel and valuable artefacts in their context and culture.