Urstad works within a sound-and site-based art practice and her work has, in addition to being presented in established venues for visual art and music, been submitted for non-traditional public urban and rural spaces; a train station, city building facades, a busy passage, a condemned prison, a medieval park, a fortress, and a forest.  She has lately, as a part of the research residency at ISIS, doing research along the coast of Northumberland.

In many of Urstad’s work communication technology is a recurring theme, often with the use of radio as a central auditory, visual and conceptual element.

In particular, she has a fascination for different methods and technologies that are used in our recent history in order to communicate over distances - from communication between the captain and engineer of the older ships (where one stays over the deck, the other in a noisy machinery), via telegraph, Morse code and other radio communications over the ocean and great distances - to the present day innovation - the digital terrestrial network and the use of fibre optics.

She is currently investigating multi-channel FM transmissions sent to multiple radios as sound installations and performances. As part of her research residency at ISIS Arts, she has explored the surroundings of Newcastle, including and especially the Northumberland’s coast where she has, in collaboration with ISIS, done a research on broadcasting FM radio signals through multiple radios facing the North Sea; from the cliffs of Howic as well as a Burburgh beach during the twilight hour. The project is aiming to a final realisation in spring 2010.

Her sound work is integrated with specific locations. Recent practice includes outdoor and indoor sound installations and performances, using CD and cassette-radios for sound reproduction and transmission as well as building sculptural objects, commenting on the temporary nature of present technology. The sound-textures for these projects are made from found and concrete sound sources, particularly signals from radio broadcast and telecommunication.