Designing public interactions through sound with Michael Baker
From Creating New Spaces: Interviews with artists redefining spaces through technology by Robin Petterd
February 21, 2026 · 26 min · Episode 30
About this episode
Michael Baker discusses the role of sound in public artworks and how it fosters community interaction.
In this podcast you will learn how sound-led public artworks can turn everyday places into shared, playable environments. In this interview Michael Baker is the Sound Director at Daily tous les jours we explore some of the thinking behind Daily Tous Les Jours’ public artworks. Daily tous les jours is known for large-scale participatory works such as Musical Swings , as well as their book Strangers Need Strange Moments Together , which reflects on designing interaction in public space. This interview is the first in a series that focuses on media art works in public space. Listen to this podcast to learn about: Why music acts as “social glue” in public space and how it supports relationality How the Musical Swings series of works map movement and synchrony into musical structure Designing interactions that are legible without instructions Low-tech prototyping methods (before code) that test the real experience The differences between touring works and permanent outdoor installations Common failure points in public work: weather, wear, and mechanical/electronic overlap Why the “artwork” is ultimately the people using the piece, together Chapters (00:00:00) Finding the hidden…
People in this episode
Host: Robin Petterd
Guest: Michael Baker
Topics covered
- sound-led public artworks
- public interactions
- participatory art
- media art in public spaces
- designing interactions
Keywords
- public art
- sound design
- community engagement
- interactive installations
- art and technology
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Daily tous les jours
Books & works: Musical Swings, Strangers Need Strange Moments Together
More episodes of Creating New Spaces: Interviews with artists redefining spaces through technology
- Using technology as a social instrument with Georgie Pinn · May 16, 2026 · 28 min
- Listening, prototyping and delivering media art in public space with Betty Sargeant · March 28, 2026 · 31 min
- Staying, Making, Connecting: The 2025 creative playbook · January 2, 2026 · 15 min
- Creating a shared practice with Alex Moss & Maggie Jeffries · October 24, 2025 · 26 min
- Cultivating curiosity in creative coding with Matthew Ragan · September 26, 2025 · 31 min
- Embracing unpredictability and physical process in immersive art with Georgie Friedman · July 12, 2025 · 21 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Creating New Spaces: Interviews with artists redefining spaces through technology podcast page.