Description

What kind of sounds would a distressed environment make? The disruption of ecosystems due to human-generated activity is a glitch in the natural matrix as in this case, river systems, lichen, trees and plants cannot re-balance and completely crash from rapid environment changes due to human behavior.

River Glitch is a site-specific installation at the Soča River, in the Slovenian Alps. Responding to the historic drought of 2022, this sculptural sound installation reflects the disruption — a glitch — in the local ecosystem as plants, fish and microbes have died off in the wake of human-produced climate change.

The sculptures use discarded building materials, as a gesture of artistic reuse. With eight different sensors, tracking various electrochemical activity in plants, lichen, trees and water quality, live data modulates sonic output, expressing various “voices” of concern. The installation produces a synchronized glitch orchestra with odd cacophonous sound beats harmonizing in pleasant and discordant ways.

A jar of mycelium, representing an evolutionarily-adaptive organism acts as the conductor of this raggedy group of sonic players, where bleeps, churns, grinds and other disruptions form a cohesive soundscape.