type
Mixed media interactive installation
(incorporating water, speaker, realtime image
capture, realtime motion capture, projection)
year
2023
exhibitions
Ars Electronica Festival 2023 (AT)
Speculum Artium Festival 2023 (SI)
WIP Festival 2023 (CY)
concept
Resonating Absence is inspired by the untranslatable word “Awumbuk”, which encapsulates the feeling of melancholy and sense of emptiness that lingers after a guest departs. The work reflects on the fragility of interpersonal relationships, employing the element of water as a metaphor, mirroring the inner turbulence one experiences when struggling with the absence of a beloved one. As spectators approach, their presence is detected by the installation’s sensors, initiating a dynamic ripple effect within the water, embodying the viewer’s impact on the emotional terrain. The water’s agitation becomes a visual representation of the tumultuous feelings experienced in the wake of separation. Yet, as the spectator eventually moves away, a profound transformation occurs. The water gradually returns to a state of calm, echoing the solitude that accompanies one’s solitude.
description
The artwork comes to life as the viewer approaches the pedestal. At its center lies a petri dish, concealing a speaker that orchestrates the controlled movement of water through sound vibrations. The Kinect sensor captures the viewer’s movements and distance, feeding the data to Max msp which generates and modifies in real time the frequency with which the water vibrates.
A micro-camera, positioned directly above the water’s surface, meticulously captures the intricate patterns forming on its surface. This detailed image is then projected on a bigger scale onto a wall, immersing the viewer in the visual narrative.
The choice of using water as the central element in “Resonating Absence” carries profound symbolic significance. Throughout history, life has always developed around water.
Moving water embodies vitality, representing the essence of life itself, while stagnant water in contrast refers to a place where life is almost untenable for us humans because of the impurity of water and its susceptibility to disease development. In different cultures, water takes on a purifying role, not only cleansing the physical body, but also serving as a conduit for spiritual renewal. It also harkens back to our most ancient and primordial relationship: the intimate bond with our mother in the womb, where we are enveloped in the nourishing embrace of water, which forms the very foundation of our entry into the world. In “Resonating Absence,” water transcends its elemental form, becoming a container to encapsulate the complexities of human emotions and the delicate dance of presence and loss that defines our shared human experience.
