In 2015, Nakagawa was invited to research the history of the hearing aid in the USA by the Smithsonian Museum of American History and was introduced to the "Audiophone". Bite Hear was the first time Alan used this historic object as a point of inspiration and hopes participants enjoyed a unique experience of hearing and sensing sound waves/vibrations.

The Audiophone historically was constructed out of a hard rubber material. Nakagawa’s versions are made out of sheet metal. The handles are constructed of wood branches from his backyard which he calls the K-Town Butterfly Sanctuary.

The Audiophone was invented during a time when our environment was less noisy, a time before phone wires, electrical wires, airplanes, microwaves, jet engines, helicopters and other sound makers we take for granted today. 

https://www.alannakagawa.com/#/bite-hear-2023/