New Ears for A New Noise. Interrogating Smart City Noise Pollution Through Sound Art.

infrastructures, the architecture and furnishings of homes and offices will converse wirelessly with fit-bits, cars and domestic appliances. Storing data about our movements via embedded transmitters and receivers, cities in particular will depend on unforetold densities of wireless signals.While Smart City critiques exist on privacy and health concerns, echog mobile phone detractions, this research is concerned that 5G, the carrier for Smart City data, requires many more short-range transmitters, contributing to new levels of wireless signal density globally.This practice-based project interrogates these wireless signals in relation to noise pollution. It engages historical and contemporary studies of noise pollution with the study of the inaudible and invisible wireless signals present in Smart City public and private environments, investigating impacts on public mental health. Through my own practice this research will focus on wireless signals as perceptible, developing ideas of 'expanded listening' and 'listening-beyond-sound', engaging with noise as a way of engaging with new approaches to this silent and invisible 'pollution'Two interview elements inform this project's research and practice:- Focus groups: "making as research", documenting responses artworks in progress and discussing their themes. Exploring political issues of urbanisation and representation in a post-consent context, the results will inform the artwork's final iteration and production archive (to be exhibited alongside work). I elect to collaborate with Londoners of lower income because in today's society they are alienated from the art world, lack both agency in determining their city's future and access to highly commodified Smart economies.- With Smart Computing scientists. I will collate data on projected wireless signal strengths and numbers, and critique their research based on the focus groups' concerns, e.g. on accessibility (language, cost) and agency (control, ownership).