climate change

Eco Echoes

Sound mapping has been used extensively by environmental sound artists to map soundscapes relating to ecology. Because of my interest in water politics and climate justice and, after reading this question by Westerkamp (2002:56) ‘Can soundscape composition initiate ecological change?’ I was prompted to explore my curiosity for sound mapping and examine how soundscapes of water work within sonic cartography as both a method of enquiry and a means of environmental action. I have also been inspired through my research by Astrida Neimanis (2017:171) Bodies of Water where she speaks of the ‘temporal and spatial tangles’ of humans living as bodies of water enmeshed with ‘other watery bodies’. Which led me back to the voice of the sea and how the sea impacts, and is impacted by, other than human beings and inanimate objects and how this can influence soundscape creation.

Waves

A video walk-through of the installation, from the group exhibition which was sited at Salford Museum and Art Gallery.

For this interactive sound Installation I wanted to make visible the transformation of Salfords waterways, particularly in relation to climate change. I took as a starting point the paintings hung in the Victorian Gallery at the museum that featured these waterways, and then made a series of field recordings, and imagined soundscapes, in the specific locations, for example Blackfrairs Bridge. I also include locations not featured in paintings in the gallery, that might have not existed in victorian times, such as Kersal Wetlands – created as part of a flood protection scheme.

The human is required to complete this artwork, their touch triggers playback of tracks, and they curate the order in which they experience the artwork

The genesis of Waves began through the In the Making group exhibition, which aimed to explore the artist’s process and draw inspiration from artefacts in the museum collection. Initially, as I walked around the Victorian Gallery at the museum, perusing what I consider to be a very traditional curation of Victorian oil paintings and other artefacts, I could not find anything that piqued my imagination. To distract myself from this irritation I glanced out of the window to the River Irwell fringing Peel Park, adjacent to the museum. As I continued to watch the river meander through the park greeting swans, the overhanging trees, reflecting the sky in its waters I absorbed myself in thinking how I could bring a narrative of this river into my artwork.

In ‘Bodies of Water’ Neimanis (2016) explores the idea of watery relations vs water as a resource and, what she labels ‘Anthropocene water’, where humans frame and interact with water. This theory supplied me with some concepts from which to examine what the River Irwell is or might be: a body of water, a chemical substance, and something unknowable that I want to get to know though capturing its sounds. This mutability fed into both the methods used to record the water sounds and informed my choice of tools for the sonification.

Galvanising Change

Galvanising Change is an experiential audio Installation examining climate change, for one audience member at a time. It uses a wearable sensor to measure their galvanic skin responses whilst they are listening to climate justice stories – which are triggered according to the audience’s emotions.

If you would like to experience a digital version of Galvanising Change go to the soundcloud playlist below:

The Installation was presented at, and live streamed from, Hulme Community Garden Centre, Manchester on 4th May 2021 at 19:00 BST.

While watching the live stream below you will be asked to visit the SoundCloud link (above) to experience the digital version, then you’ll need to fast forward the video to 33 minutes to continue watching.


This Installation was developed during the Net//Work Residency with Digital Art Studios and The British Council.

Seeds on Earth

This live art piece asks you to plant seeds: to counter climate change; bioremediate for soil pollution; and to consider what seeds we need to feed ourselves.
To listen to the audio tracks click the playlist below:

Apple Seeds
Mustard Seeds
Pea Seeds

Participants encounter ‘Seeds on Earth’ by scanning a QR code using their phones. The audio poems instruct them to consider: what they know of the seed; plant the seed; and contemplate how this seed can counter climate change.

Presented at Hulme Community Garden Centre as part of Botanic, 2020.

Soil voicemails and other trans-species calls

This digital poetry piece was commissioned for the ‘Crossed Lines’ project in collaboration with the Science Museum Group project explores trans-species calling: insects leaving ‘voicemail’ messages in the soil for other insects; humans creating computer-generated whistles to telephone dolphins; and the parallel of telephone-tapping to eavesdropping by túngara frogs.


Using animation and poetry, and mixing the sounds of endangered animals, insects and birds, the piece explores the resonance of telephone metaphors such as the exchange, the call-centre and the party-line in order to consider, in the light of the climate emergency, whether such trans-species calling might open up productive, ethical and sustainable ways of engaging with the other species with whom we share our planet.

This piece was developed as part of a collaboration with the Science Museum Group. Commissioned for Crossed Lines during the COVID-19 pandemic, Maya Chowdhry’s digital poem is inspired by part of a Rugby transatlantic telephone transmitted from 1927 which is held in the museum’s collections. Please visit the Science Museum Group for more information about the poem and the partnership.

What’s Eating Our Reality

whats eating our reality - lancaster arts

Set in an imagined future What’s Eating Our Reality is a three course meal with a difference. This intimate show explores the journey your food has taken from seed to field to table illuminating issues of food justice.

Host Maya Chowdhry orchestrates the ritual of dining and uses media art to gently immerse the audience in a new reality, one in which the food they love may be in short supply.

 
Show Information and Booking

Duration: Approx 150 mins.

BOOK TICKETS

Please note: We will be able to cater for vegetarians and vegans. Due to the nature of the show we regret we will not be able to cater to any other special diets or offer substitute food and/or drink for items provided as part of this event.

CREATIVE TEAM

Devised and Created by Maya Chowdhry

Chefs: Food Sketz – Alison Clare and Cat Smith

Video Systems & Programming : Andrew Crofts

Animator: Adam York-Gregory

Film maker: Ricardo Vilela

Sonic Seasoning: Caro C

Lighting Design: David McBride

Technician: David McBride

Producers: Leo Burtin and Alice Booth for Lancaster Arts

Lancaster-Arts-Logo
This project has been commissioned through Diverse Actions. Diverse Actions is a Live Art UK initiative which champions culturally diverse ambition, excellence and talent in Live Art. Live Art UK is a national network of Live Art promoters, of which Lancaster Arts is a member.

Slate Logo_Black + Orange With Strap
Supported by Eclipse through the Slate Play Pot Commission 2018 and, as ‘Peas on Earth’  (2017) by Compass Festival and Hab/Divergency

 

 

 

 
 
 
Gallery of Images from the Production
(show spoilers!)
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‘In a Relationship with Coffee’ receives funds from Future’s Venture Foundation

augmented realityI’m very happy to announce that I have received research and development funding for ‘Coffee Justice’ from Future’s Venture Foundation – radical independent arts fund. 

‘In a Relationship with Coffee’ (working title) is an innovative environmental art project exploring, producing and distributing stories of food justice from the mouths of those impacted on by food poverty, and from those working for global food justice.

It begins with a development project investigating the use of augmented reality as part of the eating and drinking experience.

For more information about this and my other projects check out my events page or social media.