Open Tuning (WaveUp)

Stephen Kelly

Stephen Kelly (Halifax) Runs from March 19, 2010 through to April 15, 2010 Opening reception: Friday, March 19 at 8:00 PM Water and sound are characteristically very similar, water analogies are often used when describing the physics of sound. Sound waves surround a body and travel endlessly until they run into an obstruction or weaken to the point of vanishing, filling up all available space like water in the ocean. In the Open Tuning (WaveUp) project, the aural environment of the installation space becomes a real extension of the ocean environment. Sound replaces water as sonic data from remote Ocean sensors are transmitted and transformed in the gallery space creating an ocean of sound. The ocean's currents directly affect regional and global climates, but its physical force and influence have no representation in the urban landscape. Even living in a coastal city, with an immediate proximity to the ocean, it is difficult to perceive the enormous and influential body of water next door. Open Tuning (WaveUp) examines the gulf between the palpable experience of two environments that are inter-connected, and aims to give people mediated access in real time to a remote natural environment that would otherwise be inaccessible.