(May 12, 2025) High-end home theater manufacturer Ascendo Immersive Audio is taking its pioneering infrasonic subwoofer technology out of the listening room and into the African wild—at least, in concept. The German company has partnered with Net Zero–accredited architect Marc Sherratt and infrasonic musician Franco Schoeman on an ambitious architectural exhibit at this year’s Biennale Architettura in Venice, Italy, called Talking to Elephants.
Open to the public from May 10 through November 23, the exhibit showcases a bold plan to restore migratory elephant pathways across South Africa's Limpopo province using low-frequency sound.
At the heart of the proposal is an innovative idea: to use ecologically sensitive infrasonic broadcasts to re-teach elephants how to use a newly proposed 1000-kilometer wildlife corridor. That corridor would link existing fenced reserves and conservation areas, allowing elephants to safely migrate across private and public lands via AI-powered elephant-only gates and water points—without direct human intervention.
The stakes are high. Overpopulation within fenced reserves has led to unnatural population control measures like culling and contraception. But by reconnecting habitat using a sonic language elephants already understand, Talking to Elephantsaims to create sustainable, large-scale wildlife movement through smaller, underutilized lands.
For Ascendo, the project represents a profound shift in how its subwoofer technology can be applied. The Biennale exhibit features three of the company’s 24-inch sealed infrasonic subwoofers, a 12-inch coaxial speaker for higher frequencies, and Ascendo's DSP and amplification. Suspended from the ceiling is a flared horn model designed by Sherratt, illustrating how infrasonic waves could be projected across landscapes. A cymatic plate on the floor visualizes how these low frequencies travel through the soil—the same way elephants naturally communicate.
“We feel fortunate to be part of this project to potentially help protect endangered elephants in South Africa using our infrasonic subwoofer technology,” said Geoffrey Heinzel, Ascendo co-managing partner. “To be sought out by infrasonic musician Franco Schoeman and trailblazing architect Marc Sherratt, who proposes elephants as ecological partners, gives our technology a new purpose that is both unexpected and rewarding. This Biennale exhibit is just the start.”
Visitors can experience a 14-minute audio cycle that simulates being inside an elephant herd, with infrasonic rumbles and environmental sounds from Limpopo. Schoeman’s soundscape draws from his own research into elephant communication and is designed to deliver a powerful emotional and auditory experience.
“Our exhibition would not have been possible without Ascendo’s support. These types of projects, though radical, spend years in R&D, until someone puts their money where their mouth is,” said Sherratt. “Being part of La Biennale di Venezia is life-changing for any architect, but what is more powerful is finding partners like Ascendo that can support a project between proof of concept and scaled implementation. This is now where we are at.”
“Imagination brought together the most powerful team with which we can begin to open new discussions in wildlife management, including the animals themselves, through infrasound,” said Schoeman. “La Biennale di Venezia broadens the awareness of our solutions to a global audience. They clearly recognize the value in cross-collaboration between musicians and architects to shape a coexisting future for Africa. By combining forces with Marc Sherratt and Ascendo, the sky isn't even the limit.”
The Talking to Elephants exhibit is located within the 19th International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia, curated by Carlo Ratti under the theme Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.
For more information about Ascendo, visit www.aia-cinema.com. To sponsor or donate to the Talking to Elephants initiative, contact Franco Schoeman of B1DR at francoffee@gmail.com or +27 82 954 8864.
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