Sonaqua @ Science Gallery Detroit, 2019

Sonaqua @ Currents New Media Festival, 2018

Sonaqua @ Bangkok Arts and Cultural Center, 2017

Sonaqua @ Currents New Media Festival, 2018

Sonaqua @ Bangkok Arts and Cultural Center, 2017

Prototype of Sonaqua @ Santa Fe Art Institute, 2017

Sonaqua

Electronic Audio Installation, 2019

Description

Sonaqua asks the question: What does water quality sound like?

This is a site-specific interactive sound installation where users can “play” vials of water from live readings water quality. For each exhibition, I collect river and lake samples at various nearby locations, reflecting the surrounding freshwater ecosystem as an acoustic melange.

Each water sample contains different minerals and conducts an electrical current (EC) at different rates. Measurements of EC correlate to total dissolved solids (TDS), which is often an indicator of heavy metals pollution by industrial and mining process. The more polluted a river system, the more electrical charge it will likely conduct.

The water samples are situated on a hand-painted table, depicting a map of just the region’s waterways. A vial of water rests on its collected location. There are 3 buttons on each side of the table, that visitors may press that will issue a square wave sound that corresponds to the water quality of that vial: the lower tones indicate more pollution and the higher ones are more pure. 

Using a simple electrical circuit, this artwork allows for chance acoustic arrangements as visitors play with one another in the spirit of improvisation and scientific inquiry.

Exhibitions

Depth, 2019, Science Center Detroit, Detroit
Currents New Media Festival, 2018, Santa Fe, New Mexico
River Dreams, Bangkok Arts and Cultural Center, 2017, Bangkok, Thailand

Credits & Thanks

Sante Fe Art Institute (Water Rights residency)
ZERO1 American Arts Incubator (Bangkok, Thailand)