Sphaerosymphony is an ongoing project where air quality data is turned into sound and evolving visual form.
It’s not using simulated data or abstract inputs – it’s driven by real particulate measurements (PM2.5 and PM10). What you see and hear is shaped directly by the air.
Where it came from
The project started during the Generative Creative Visions programme at the University of Edinburgh.
The initial idea was simple: instead of visualising environmental data as charts or dashboards, what happens if you experience it?
Early concept development
The idea itself came out of a workshop session using FlowCreate – an AI-assisted system for building connected ideas and exploring directions collaboratively.
Rather than starting with a fixed concept, we worked through a network of possibilities – generative installations, environmental data, immersive systems, and interactive experiences.
One of the ideas that emerged was a dynamic sculpture driven by real-time environmental data. That direction stuck, and gradually became what is now Sphaerosymphony.
What I like about this process is that it wasn’t about generating a finished idea – it was closer to a collaborative sketchbook, then choosing something and building it properly.
Since then it’s developed into something that works across:
- Screen-based visuals
- VR and mixed reality
- Talks and live demos
What it’s doing
At any given moment, Sphaerosymphony is:
- pulling in recent air quality data (usually the last 24 hours)
- mapping that to musical structure and intensity
- generating a spherical form that evolves over time
When air quality shifts, the piece changes with it – not just numerically, but in character.
Cleaner air tends to produce lighter, more open structures.
More polluted air pushes things towards something denser and heavier – visually and sonically.
Why do this?
Air quality is usually presented as numbers or coloured maps. Useful, but easy to ignore.
This is an attempt to make it more immediate – something you can hear and see without needing to interpret it first.
It’s still data-driven, just not abstracted to the point where it loses meaning.
Where to see it
You can explore it online here: https://sphaerosymphony.com/
We’ll also be presenting “Sphaerosymphony: The Music of the Air” as part of the Edinburgh Science Festival 2026.
That’ll be a short talk followed by a hands-on setup with VR headsets and tablets.
You can buy tickets here.
What’s next
Still evolving.
There’s more to explore beyond particulates – other environmental signals, more complex mappings, and different ways of experiencing it.
If you’ve come across this at a talk or event, or just had a look online, I’d be interested to hear what you make of it.
Posted: April 1, 2026 by David Oxley
Written by
David Oxley
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