Inspired by the philosophical thought experiment: “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around, does it make a sound?”, I have extended its application to the aural experience and perception through deliberating on the question’s literal object: tree. On perception, the symbol of a fallen tree is also associated with the awareness/ignorance of climate change – as media consumers, our awareness is controlled by what we know. Certain climate change phenomena are widely debated, while others go undetected. To that end, this discrepancy in perception has prompted me to create Treefall, an interactive installation that responds to audience interactions.

Audiences are given various coloured cups to place on various sensors on the interaction table. These cups symbolises the different forms of reconstruction/destruction happening around the world. Audiences also have the choice to undo their actions or leave their props on the table. In either case, audiences turn into global manipulators to change the way they want to shape the world, and in this installation, influence the sonic and visual experience for an indefinite time until the next audience interacts with it. The dilemma of perception then comes in play – when there is no one around, the installation will continue to evolve gradually, but who will be there to witness it, just like course of nature without human interactions?