Nocturnal Fugue and EchoVision explore how non-human species experience the world. Researchers have found that bats have a much more complex communication system than previously thought, with individual names, the ability to argue over food and vocal learning. Like human baby talk, mother bats lower their pitch when talking to baby bats.

Nocturnal Fugue 

Nocturnal Fugue uses bat vocalisations, such as social calls and mating rituals and transforms them into music. Accompanying the soundscape are digital recreations of bats' natural habitats, projected in the gallery. You can explore the bats' worlds through each digital habitat’s sleeping, mating, feeding and fighting vocalisations.

EchoVision

EchoVision simulates echolocation, which bats use to navigate their surroundings by interpreting the echoes of their voices. The work achieves this through sound vocalisation and mixed reality technology within custom-designed, bat-shaped headsets. The headsets' visuals transform based on your voice's pitch and tone, producing a dynamic and interactive depiction of how bats perceive their environment.

Inspired by Thomas Nagel's philosophical inquiry in What Is it Like to Be a Bat?, Jiabao’s project attempts to go beyond our limited and subjective human experience. Whilst we can usually only imagine what it is like to be a bat, Nocturnal Fugue and EchoVision bring us closer to knowing and experiencing the world as bats do.