Eco-sensing workshop & lecture by Eric Leonardson at Iowa State University Masters of Design In Sustainable Environments

Amazing workshop! Ear cleaning exercise and DIY eco-sensing w/ Eric Leonardson @ericleonardson @designonmain203 @isugd @isucollegeofdesign #SusE #MDesSE #iowa #midwest #acousticEcology #soundart #art #listening #design #isugd

A post shared by Alex Braidwood (@formalplay) on Mar 26, 2018 at 4:12pm PDT

On March 26, MSAE founder and Co-chair, Eric Leonardson spoke about ”Advances in Eco-Sensing and Soundscape” for a capacity crowd in the College of Design. Part of the 2017-2018 Master of Urban Design /Master of Design in Sustainable Environments Lecture Series, his talk encompassed several ongoing projects that intersected via ”Eco-Sensing and Soundscape,” originally a studio course Leonardson co-taught with Lindsey French in fall 2015 at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).

“By connecting acoustic ecology concepts and practices with the hacking aesthetic of art and technology, the course sought to ‘open up possibilities for transdisciplinary collaborations and offer new understandings of our environments, our boundaries and locations and our roles within them as artists, designers and listeners,’ Leonardson said.”

In a 2-hour workshop graduate students experienced “Ear Cleaning” exercises that actively engage ways of listening, cognition, and memory. Leonardson spoke about his own artistic trajectory in sound, ecology, and handmade instruments, and concluded with making of piezoelectric vibration sensors. These may be used in many ways, including DIY hydrophones for “Eco-sensing” aquatic environments, or contact microphones for discovering the typically inaudible sounds made by virtually any readily available object.

ISU’s MDesSE is an advanced interdisciplinary degree focusing on holistic design strategies for the production of sustainable, resilient environments.