Memento Mori: an Interface With the Earth
Minute movements of the Hayward Fault in California are detected by a seismograph, converted to digital signals, and transmitted continuously via the internet to an acoustic installation. The resonating enclosure responds to the unpredictable fluctuations of the earth.
Earth Art comes to the Internet: a live seismic net art installation.
"All flesh is grass."--Ecclesiastes.
Seismic waves propagate continuously through the earth, reflecting
movement from local and distant sources. Mori is an immersive sound and
visual installation modulated by live seismic signals transmitted in
real time via the Internet from California's Hayward Fault.
The immediacy of the data provides a visceral reminder of passing time
and human fragility. Visitors enter a darkened soundproof room and walk
up a ramp aided by a handrail. The smell of fresh earth and wood fills
the room. Visitors stand on a resonating platform and are enveloped by a
layering of low frequency sounds. Visitors also look downward through a
portal to view a display resembling a heart monitor; its "trace" slowly
decays as the seismic signal moves from left to right, fading gradually
to the black background.
Mori's auditory and visual resonance establishes a direct relation
between the viewer's body and the Earth. The title of the installation
links the Japanese word, Mori: "forest/sanctuary," with the Latin
phrase, Memento Mori: "reminder of mortality."