Eight Years eight ice lanterns arranged in a circle on a dark stage, slowly melting. ACCA Brighton, 2020.
Eight ice lanterns melt over 8 minutes, each activating musical sounds as the ice transforms โ a meditation on time, transformation, and the eight years the IPCC said we had left to mitigate the worst effects of the climate crisis.
The Concept
"Eight Years" takes its name from the 2019 IPCC report, which stated there were only eight years remaining to mitigate the worst effects of the climate crisis. The installation creates a closed-loop system where physical transformation โ the gradual melting of ice โ parallels and drives an evolving audio composition.
Eight ice lanterns are arranged in a circular formation. As each lamp melts, it activates musical sounds that fill the performance space. The piece lasts exactly 8 minutes. Audiences reported a meditative quality, spending extended periods watching how their presence contributed to the evolving soundscape.
Technical System
The installation employs a network of closed-loop microphones that capture ambient sound, process it through delay and feedback systems, and reintroduce it into the space. This creates layers of temporal sound that build upon themselves, with each iteration adding acoustic complexity.
System Components
- Multiple high-sensitivity condenser microphones
- Real-time digital signal processing and delay units
- Variable feedback control for musical rather than harsh feedback
- Spatial audio distribution (circular speaker array)
- Custom LED systems embedded within ice structures
- Temperature monitoring for controlled melt rate
- Water collection and recycling system
Ice Lamp Design
Custom molds ensured consistent lamp geometry across all eight units. LED lighting within each lamp creates a soft glow that changes in character as the ice thins. The changing light distribution affects both the visual atmosphere and the acoustic properties of the space โ as the ice melts, the reflective surfaces diminish, the room's acoustic signature shifts, and the audio composition responds.
Sound Evolution
The sonic experience moves through phases:
- Initial State: Minimal ambient capture with subtle processing
- Accumulation Phase: Gradual build of layered audio as feedback loops develop
- Complexity Peak: Rich, multi-layered soundscape with rhythmic and tonal elements
- Decay Cycle: Reduction periods allow for renewed build
Catherine's vocal performance threads through all phases, with her voice becoming another material in the closed-loop system โ captured, delayed, layered, and returned.
Audience Experience
The circular arrangement places the audience inside the installation rather than in front of it. The piece rewards contemplative engagement โ visitors who stay for its full duration witness both the ice's physical transformation and the audio composition's evolution from sparse to complex to quiet again. The 8-minute duration was a deliberate choice, mirroring the installation's central message.
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