Artist Commissions

Audio Brick Installation

Role

Lead Fabricator & Technical Engineer

Client

Lars Bergquist

Year

2026

Discipline

Artist Commissions

I was thrilled to be commissioned for my second collaboration with artist Lars Bergquist. For this exhibition, Lars needed a series of high-quality, hyper-realistic brick models that discreetly housed long-lasting audio systems capable of coordinating synchronized soundscapes across multiple units. To achieve an authentic aesthetic, I began by using 3D photogrammetry to scan an approved physical brick. From that digital map, I engineered and 3D-printed a custom replica featuring a precisely modeled hollow interior and a beveled lid designed to snap seamlessly into place, hiding the technology within. I outfitted the inside of each brick with an ESP32 audio development board, a 3-inch speaker, and a robust battery and charge management system to ensure the installation could run continuously throughout the exhibition. The intelligence of the piece relied on a custom software architecture I developed for the ESP32 microcontrollers. I designated one primary brick as the "coordinator", while it played its own local audio effects, it simultaneously communicated with the rest of the network to trigger and sync their respective audio files, creating a deeply immersive environment. I deeply loved working on this project because it perfectly bridged two of my creative passions. As drawn as I am to complex technology and programming, I have a profound appreciation for natural, grounding objects. Engineering an object seemingly at rest to unexpectedly come alive, concealing its technical capabilities until the moment it engages the viewer, was an incredibly rewarding process.