dancing in aquatic vibrations

This installation explores the auditory perception of aquatic animals. While land based animals perceive motion and sound as two distinct quantities, the boundary between the two seems to vanish for animals living underwater. As they are surrounded by a medium with a density similar to that of their tissue, sound waves travel through and move their whole body. Different sensory organs are able to pick up small, big, fast and slow motion in the water, ranging from global currents to tiny movements generated by the heart of a fish.

This interactive exhibit features a newly developed sound interface in the form of a suspended water bladder equipped with an exciter. The exciter reproduces underwater recordings, inviting participants to hug the water bladder and experience these sounds through vibrations, emulating how fish perceive sound with various sensory organs spread over their entire bodies.

This work was exhibited at Ars Electronica in 2025.