I was commissioned by the Natural History Museum to create a permanent sound composition / installation for the 2022 re-design of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition.
Drawing from my practice of investigation and documenting the natural world through field recordings, I wanted to develop a composition that was in conversation with the varied environments and natural systems that provide support for all life on earth. I immersed myself in the incredible sonic variety of water, uncovering the sonic diversity of its many forms as it moves around the planet through different natural systems. At the current rate of unchecked climate change 5 billion people are estimated to face water scarcity by 2050.
I designed a 16 speaker ambisonic immersive sound array to diffuse sounds throughout the large exhibition space comprising of 4 open plan ‘rooms’ that are connected. This allowed me to compose in sympathy with the historical achitecture of the Natural History Museum by being able to locate the sonic elements around and throughout the space. This movement was influenced by the flowing of water through the different systems on the planet.
The exhibition is open everyday with the sound installation playing throughout 2023 and 2024