Julian Reinecke-Watson transforms ecological data into an immersive sonic experience, inviting us to hear the Garden Route’s fragile rhythms.
16 September 2026
What if the environment could speak? At NWU Gallery, ‘Synthetic Soundscapes’ invites audiences to listen differently, transforming environmental data into an immersive audio-visual installation that explores the relationship between sound, technology and ecological change.
Created by artist Julian Reinecke-Watson, the installation draws on data supplied by South African National Parks, translating the ecological conditions of the Garden Route National Park into a generative electronic soundscape. Wildfires, invasive alien plant species, and climate change form the foundation of an evolving sonic ecosystem, where pitch, dynamics, and waves respond to the landscape’s shifting realities.
Developed through virtual modular synthesis and inspired by field recordings, each sound is constructed and manipulated in VCV Rack 2. From the rustle of leaves to the pitch-glides of birdsong, the work reimagines the language of environmental science through sound.
Moving beyond the graphs and figures that often define climate discourse, ‘Synthetic Soundscapes’ offers a sensory encounter with vulnerable ecosystems. It asks us to consider how art can deepen ecological awareness, and how listening itself might become an act of environmental care.
RSVP required: gallery@nwu.ac.za
This exhibition will be on view at NWU Gallery, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, on 17 and 18 September 2026.
