Human perception reveals only a small fraction of reality. Many animals have perceptual adaptations that exceed our own. At this site on historic Church Street in Harvard Square, the sidewalk curls into the building to become a one-way circulation system through three distinct environments: the ocean, a cave, and the forest. Each environment is inhabited by animals which have specialized perceptual adaptations (ie: the shark’s ability to perceive electric auras, the bat’s ability to “see” in the dark, and the hummingbird’s ability to perceive ultraviolet light). The visitor is submerged into these challenging conditions but is provided with perceptual aids such as a hand-held sonar device to navigate through a dark cave.
Status: School Project
Location: Cambridge, MA, US