Marco Barotti: Clams, Swans, Woodpeckers

Exhibiting Artist(s):

• Marco Barotti

Clams (2019)

Clams is a collection of kinetic sound sculptures which convert data from water quality sensors into sounds and movement. Each ‘clam’ is constructed from recycled waste plastic and contains a speaker. The continuously evolving microtonal soundscape gives each shell a subtle, life-like opening and closing action. Real-time readings from an industry-standard water purity sensor placed in the river, lake or sea of the cities where the artwork is presented, form the basis for the music, which is generated through a constantly shifting process based on water quality levels over time. Clams invite the audience to draw connections between media art, data sonification and environmental sustainability.

Swans (2016)

“Swan” seems like a harmless and naive name for the radical yet subtle intervention in nature accomplished by this work. Irony is a clearly recognizable element of this installation made from eight satellite dishes, seven white and one black, obvious waste elements of our society representing the power of mainstream TV and mass media. Brought to life by sound, wind and water, these animals float peacefully in a pond, merging perfectly with the nature surrounding them.

Speakers installed above the bases of the former satellite dishes serve as the animals’ heads. Two layers of sound design consisting of bass frequencies and human breath passing through brass instruments provide them with voice and motion. Eight individual audio channels are used to transport the sound through the swans, bringing them to life and remodelling the landscape. This image provokes both a sense of revulsion and an intimate feeling of familiarity, serving as a hack of the natural environment while challenging the audience with its amalgamation of tech waste and wildlife. The omnipresent hand of humanity is unmistakable in its role as a kind of god in the same way that humanity relates to nature.

Woodpeckers (2018)

The Woodpeckers transform in real time the invisible radiations used for mobile communication and wireless technology into audible and visible drumming patterns. The sonic result is a generative acoustic composition which undergoes constant transformation. A live soundscape which resonates as an invading drum ensemble into urban and natural environments.