Sonic Interactions as Situated Urban Practice with BIKES

Henrik von Coler

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract

This paper presents a practice-based artistic approach to urban sonic intervention using a moving networked instrument. BIKES consists of four electric cargo bicycles equipped with battery-powered sound systems and interconnected through a mesh network. Operating both in motion and as an impromptu installation,the instrument enables critical and engaging forms of situated urban practice. This potential was explored through a group ride in the inner city of Atlanta, following a route that highlighted shortcomings in urban design as well as cultural specificities of the city. The activation demonstrates how BIKES can function as an interface for engaging with the acoustic, social, and environmental affordances of urban space. Sonic interactions during the ride and at selected stops engaged the riders of the four BIKES as individual listeners, the group as a coordinated collective, and incidental audiences across multiple levels. Based on these observations, the paper proposes a provisional framework that differentiates between individual, co-present, and environmental scopes of acoustic interaction in urban settings.

Citation

Henrik von Coler. 2026. Sonic Interactions as Situated Urban Practice with BIKES. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20784067 [PDF]

BibTeX Entry

@inproceedings{nime2026_14,
 abstract = {This paper presents a practice-based artistic approach to urban sonic intervention using a moving networked instrument. BIKES consists of four electric cargo bicycles equipped with battery-powered sound systems and interconnected through a mesh network. Operating both in motion and as an impromptu installation,the instrument enables critical and engaging forms of situated urban practice. This potential was explored through a group ride in the inner city of Atlanta, following a route that highlighted shortcomings in urban design as well as cultural specificities of the city. The activation demonstrates how BIKES can function as an interface for engaging with the acoustic, social, and environmental affordances of urban space. Sonic interactions during the ride and at selected stops engaged the riders of the four BIKES as individual listeners, the group as a coordinated collective, and incidental audiences across multiple levels. Based on these observations, the paper proposes a provisional framework that differentiates between individual, co-present, and environmental scopes of acoustic interaction in urban settings.},
 address = {London, United Kingdom},
 articleno = {14},
 author = {Henrik von Coler},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.20784067},
 editor = {Benedict Gaster and João Tragtenberg and Anna Xambó and Tom Mitchell},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {June},
 note = {},
 numpages = {7},
 pages = {109--115},
 presentation-video = {https://youtu.be/cu7xfoVQ-bI},
 title = {Sonic Interactions as Situated Urban Practice with BIKES},
 track = {Paper},
 url = {http://nime.org/proceedings/2026/nime2026_14.pdf},
 year = {2026}
}