Infinity in Our Hands
Infinity in Our Hands
The Sun is a dynamic star, a constantly changing hearth of light and heat providing life on Earth. In 5 million years the Sun will start to die, expanding and losing energy. Working with scientific data gathered from the Chandra Observatory, NASA’s flagship mission for X-Ray astronomy, and other sources, the project explores the lifecycle of stars through sound, touch and light. It includes speculative fiction, star sonifications, field recordings and glass renditions of astral data, to provide an experience of the interconnectedness of stars with human life.
Broadening existing traditional visual research approaches, sonification makes scientific data more accessible to diverse people for inspection and wonderment. Audio field recordings, sustained chords, and musical notes have been mapped to light curve data from each star and star body using open source software STRAUSS (Sonification Tools and Resources for Analysis Using Sound Synthesis) to create a dynamic star-listening experience.
Kiln-formed glass made from minerals in the Earth’s crust (silica, soda, and lime) provide visual and tangible textural formations of star data based on the intensity of X-ray light from Chandra Observatory, Infrared light from the Webb and Spitzer telescopes, and Optical light from the Hubble telescope. The glass astral bodies, developed from 3D tactile plates produced by the Smithsonian Institution and Tactile Universe for sight and hearing impaired people, offer the audience a visual-tactile experience that enhance the sonification.
With thanks to our project partners, Nicolas Bonne (Tactile Universe), James Trayford (STRAUSS), and the Smithsonian Institution.
The Lifecycle of Stars
This project explores the life cycle of stars through utilizing data from three representative stellar objects. The birth of a star is represented by 30 Doradus also known as the Taruntula Nebula. A living star is represented by R Aquarii. The death of a star is represented by Tycho Supernova (Cas B) which is a supernova remnant.
Collaborators Kristine Diekman (USA), Liz Waugh McManus (UK), and Lisa Mansfield (Australia) work across generative media, sound, drawing, glass-making, community-based projects, and interactive electronics to communicate diverse narratives and data to engage listeners. Their work ‘1.5 Degrees of Concern’ was longlisted for the 2022 Lumen Prize (art and technology field). Kristine is Professor Emeritus of California State University and active in acoustic ecology. Liz’s recent PhD research at the University of Sunderland developed an ‘Internet of Glass Things’, blending qualities of glass with new technologies and physical computing. Lisa is the senior time-based media conservator at Art Gallery of NSW, preserving artworks with performance, electronic,and software dependencies.
Contact us:
Kristine Diekman: kdiekman@csusm.edu; @kaydee8888
Liz Waugh McManus: lizwaugh@btinternet.com; @lizwaughmcmanus
Lisa Mansfield: Lisa.Mansfield@ag.nsw.gov.au; @kitten_kong