“Mocean” is a sculptural sound environment in the form of a forest of organ pipes. It uses water as an emotive interface and it is actuated by the movements of water stirred up in a tank situated in the center of the sculptural environment. With the use of technology the ripple patterns are translated into sound, through an array of antique organ pipes. The spatial arrangement of the pipes is tailored to the surrounding space and reflects the physical dimensions of the tank, thus it is possible to create the sensation of moving the sound around by moving water in a particular direction.
Our original task was to merge a natural element, such as water, with digital technology to establish a new, satisfying sensory relationship between natural media and sound.
Over the years "Mocean" has evolved into a site-specific installation that facilitates expressive engagements with physics, water dynamics and space.
We continue to expand the project based on locations and resources, and we hope to create a larger version in which participants can actually walk and dance in the water. The use of more pipes would also increase the range of volume and expand the compositional possibilities. With each version, we continue to gauge participant response, and test the scalability and responsiveness of the hardware and software we developed.
