Lithic Reverie is an interactive sound installation and performance that reimagines the traditional Chinese stone chime 磬(qing) using concrete fragments retrieved from urban construction sites. Positioning concrete as a material that integrates geological deep time with industrial human processes, the work gives voice to exploitative extraction practices: geological, ecological, cultural, and ontological. Rather than utilizing sonification purely for data representation, this work contributes as a case demonstrating how the sonic translation of physical matter can serve as a form of practice-based ecological critique. The iterative development process highlights the value of practice-based research and leads to the unique dual-mode of this installation. By detailing the conceptual narrative and technical workflow, Lithic Reverie presents a case reframing traditional cultural forms with digital sound technologies while addressing extractivism in industrial processes. This work exists in two modes: a fully automated installation and a hybrid performance in which a human performer replaces selected solenoids, striking fragments with everyday objects and collected minerals. Concretes collected from a construction site.LITHIC REVERIE in night view. The art paper of this work is accepted by Siggraph Asia 2026.
