ProjectThe Hood
ClientSky Arts
ArtistMichael Pinsky
StatusComplete
A collaborative climate art installation with Michael Pinsky
Global warming over the last century means heat extremes that previously only occurred once every 1,000 days are happening four to five times more often.
Hood transposes us from the present day to a 22nd Century scenario in which climate extremes have increased by twenty percent.
A timber pergola functions as a focal point for people to gather and witness the weather. Inside the shelter, the visitor’s acoustic experience of current weather conditions is subtly exaggerated.
When it rains a little, the sound of rain pounds the roof; when it rains a lot, the visitor hears rolling thunder in the distance; when there is a breeze, strong winds ripple through the tree tops; and as the temperature starts to rise, the listener hears crickets and Mediterranean birds.
These artificial sounds blend with those already present in the surrounding environment to create a moving sonic experience. Speakers dispersed throughout the internal frame create a three-dimensional soundscape, exaggerating the visitor’s visual and aural experiences such that the real and augmented sounds are indistinguishable.
The pergola takes data from local weather stations, activating prerecorded weather sounds so that sonic responses are localised to current weather conditions. As soon as a few raindrops hit the shelter the sound samples change accordingly.
Hood was created in collaboration with artist Michael Pinsky whose work is known for challenging the status quo on climate change, urban design and societal wellbeing.
