CHRYSALIS. ARTISTS IN LABS

Welcome to the workshop “Sonic Mind. Sound, Consciousness, and Technology” with sound artist Julius Holtz. The event takes place in the framework of the research project CHRYSALIS. ARTISTS IN LABS, organised by Art Laboratory Berlin, with the generous support of the Lotto Stiftung Berlin. Julius Holtz’ art residence has been realised in cooperation with the Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam, the German University of Digital Science, Potsdam; the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, HU Berlin, and the Sleep Research & Clinical Chronobiology, Institute of Physiology, Charité Berlin.


How are new technologies and the increasing interconnection between humans and machines changing our perception of identity, consciousness and community? 

In this interdisciplinary workshop, composer and sound researcher Julius Holtz offers insights into his artistic research at the intersection of sound art, neuroscience and technological innovation. Building on projects such as Introspective Garden, which has been presented at venues including Charité Berlin, the HPI Potsdam, and the MIT Tangible Media Group, the workshop explores how sound environments are created through sensor technology, data sonification and participatory processes, and how they can influence our relationship with ourselves and others.

In an embodied listening session, participants will engage theoretically and practically with the themes of active listening, mindfulness, collective perception and human-machine interaction. Using experimental approaches, we will explore how neural activity and adaptive soundscapes can be interconnected. Furthermore, we will examine the social, artistic, and ethical possibilities that arise from this.

How are technological developments changing our understanding of consciousness and identity? What role does active listening play in individual and collective processes? And how can new technologies be used to promote sustainable forms of attention, empathy, and social connectedness?

The workshop is aimed at artists, designers, researchers, and anyone interested in exploring the interplay between sound, technology and human perception.

Julius Holtz, sound research, 2026

Julius Holtz, sound research, 2026

Julius Holtz, sound research, 2026

Julius Holtz, sound research, 2026

Julius Holtz, sound research, 2026

Julius Holtz is a composer and sound researcher whose work explores intersections of electroacoustic music, media art, and interactive sound environments. His practice explores multisensory formats that combine music and sound design, visuals, and audience participation, resulting in projects such as SONIC SCULPTURE (Berliner Festspiele) and INTROSPECTIVE GARDEN (Charité Berlin and MIT). His current research connects generative AI with neural activity, creating adaptive soundscapes that probe our concepts of consciousness, identity, and collectivity. Rooted in Berlin’s 1990s club culture and later shaped at the University of the Arts, his work bridges experimental performance, technological innovation, and artistic research. Julius Holtz’s artistic research operates at the intersection of neuroscience and sound art. It focuses on the development of sound environments that engage participants through sensorics and data sonification, embedding them within the artwork itself. In this context, he presented the project Introspective Garden at Charité Berlin, the HPI Potsdam, and the MIT Tangible Media Group. This research is the starting point for his project in CHRYSALIS. ARTISTS IN LABS at Art Laboratory Berlin, where Julius is collaborating with scientists from the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, HU Berlin as well as the Institute of Physiology about Sleep Research & Clinical Chronobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin.