TIMELINE – an audio-visual installation concerning climate-change, featuring a 6 metre lacustrine mud core and two large bass drums, being continuously ‘played’ when hit by cosmic rays. Entrance Hall – new university building, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, University of Bergen, Norway, December 2007
TIMELINE was created in collaboration with a number of scientists and technicians. It was commissioned by the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, with this art/science project being a central visual feature of the BCCR ‘Centre of Excellence’ anniversary Climate Change conference.
The audio-visual installation links 11,000 years of climate data revealed in a Norwegian lacustrine mud core to the current activity of cosmic rays bombarding our planet. It uses the effect of invisible radioactive particles to make Geiger Counters trigger continuous beats from two drums situated at either end of the 5 metre long mud core. These sounds are played back through a specially-constructed MIDI-controlled sound system which activates the top head of each drum.
TIMELINE is part of a series of meteorologically-inspired works that have been generated through my involvement with ‘The Spring Group’ researchers.
I have maintained a strong link with the Bjerknes Centre, Bergen since being invited by them to give a lecture on my work in 2005. Two members of my ‘Spring Group’ research group, Prof David Stephenson and Dr Giles Harrison, wrote a paper, published by the Royal Society a year ago, concerning the effect of cosmic ray activity on the weather.
During previous visits to Bergen, I became fascinated by the long, cylindrical mud and ice cores that are archived and analysed at The Centre and began formulating a work that linked the passage of long periods of time to immediate ‘live’ activity – conceptually locating the viewer within a timeline of 11,000 years of buried history whilst being made aware of the cosmic rays that continuously bombard us all, as they have also done to the matter contained within the core.
The installation spans 7 metres, with the 5 metre-long core resting horizontally between the two very large drums. The rim of each drum is chest-high, with the top skin or ‘head’ painted black and covered in water, creating a black-mirror effect. Each time a ray hits a drum, the head produces a drum beat and the water ripples like a drop of rain falling in a puddle, with the viewer and surroundings reflected.
Galactic cosmic rays continually fall on us like invisible rain – approximately one strike per square metre every three seconds. They come from our sun and every sun, go through our bodies, through the earth and emerge from the other side to continue their invisible journey across the universe. As a viewer of TIMELINE, each time you hear the beat of a drum, a ray has struck it and passed through you. The mud core acts not only as a signifier of the passage of time, but as a metaphor for our own mortality.
"I invite you to learn more about the work of this great artist. Perhaps your research center or university will have one of his installations in the future." (Michel dos Santos Mesquita, AGU Atmospheric Sciences, Vol 1, No 5)
Invisible radioactive particles from our sun and from stars beyond are passing through the atmosphere, through buildings, and even us humans every few seconds.
The film of TIMELINE, shows Prof Charlie Hooker's work during an installation and demonstration of the output at the College of Arts and Humanities
