THE LIGHTS WHICH CAN BE HEARD – LE DERNIER SON DES AURORES
SÉBASTIEN ROBERT
Installation and visual art
The Lights Which Can Be Heard – Le dernier son des aurores is a research and creation project about the sound of the aurora borealis, which has long been witnessed by various indigenous communities in the Arctic. Despite the many accounts, the Western scientific community denied their existence for decades until some hypotheses about their origin began to surface in the 1950s, but are still debated today.
Some believe that the natural VLF (Very Low Frequency) radio waves produced by the aurora borealis can be perceived in the observer/listener’s environment. Some natural elements (minerals or crystals) would act as receivers and transform the radio waves (electromagnetic) into the audible spectrum (acoustic). Without rejecting any hypothesis, it is this last one that caught Sébastien’s attention for his project.
Despite successful recordings following a three-week residence on Andøya in Norway, Sébastien realised that the VLF waves emitted by the aurora are increasingly difficult to perceive because they are more and more drowned out by artificial signals. They are therefore bound to disappear. Inspired by this unique context, and in the continuity of his previous work, Sébastien is currently developing a body of work around this research, which will allow the audience to perceive the sounds of the aurora borealis while preserving them in light.
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Artist
Albertine Meunier (FR)
Née en 1964, Albertine Meunier vit et travaille à Paris et Vitry sur Seine.
Elle pratique l’art dit numérique depuis 1998 et utilise Internet comme matériau de création. Elle explore l’essence d’une poésie, d’une esthétique du numérique et des réseaux. Elle cultive les formes simples, minimales, semblant parfois «bricolées», volontairement loin de l’hyper-technicité de certains dispositifs numériques.
Ces travaux questionnent, autant de manière critique que ludique, les grands acteurs de l’internet tel que Google, Twitter ou Facebook et le nouveau monde qui nous entoure.
Elle tente dans ses recherches et pièces créées à révéler l’invisible ou la poésie des choses numériques.
Albertine déroule le fil d’une poésie ludique, impertinente et drôle. Elle est DataDada et cela se voit!
Credits & mentions
Originally commissioned by STRP Festival
Creation realized in coproduction with the platform CHRONIQUES CREATIONS, supported by the DRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, the Région Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, the City of Marseille and the French Institute in Paris
With the financial support of Stroom Den Haag, DICRéAM, Fonds [SCAN] Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie
With the intellectual support of The Royal Library of the Netherlands, The Tromsø Geophysical Observatory, Fiona Armery (University of Cambridge), Rob Stammes (Polarlightcenter), Harald Gaski (University of Tromsø ), Hans Ragnar Mathisen and Matti Aikio
With the technical support of Lucien Nicou (design + production), Leandros Ntolas (light + optics), Pim Kerssemakers (metalwork), Mark IJzerman (TouchDesigner) and Zois Loumakis (hardware + software)
Under the artistic supervision of Jean-Emmanuel Rosnet
Initiated during the Arctic Wave residency (Andøya, NO)
Partner: Les Méjanes – Bibliothèque et Archives Michel Vovelle
