Death By A Thousand Cuts
An interactive sonic experience of the displacement caused by seabed mining on marine mammals.Destruction of underwater sonic habitat caused by the construction of wind turbines on the way of sustainability.
Context
The project consults from studies, commissioned by the Danish Energy Agency, which examine the effects of impulsive noise sources on marine life. These reports reveal that native species such as the harbor porpoise, the harbor seal, and the grey seal face increasingly hostile habitats due to the noise pollution generated by wind turbine construction. This type of noise can cause hearing damage and disrupt essential behaviors such as communication and reproduction, forcing these species to abandon their natural habitat. Ironically, despite their central role in sustainable energy strategies, wind farms pose adverse implications on marine life.
Why
This research raises crucial questions about the meaning of being "ecologically responsible" and about whom we include (and exclude) in our visions of a sustainable world. The work invites a critical reevaluation of our notions about the environmental crisis and the solutions we promote from an anthropocentric perspective. The main objective of this work is to provoke reflection on the complexities and contradictions inherent in green energy initiatives.
How
The installation consists of three concentric rings of small speakers that play sound recordings collected in Struer from Danish waters. At the center, a large speaker emits the sound of pile driving. When a person enters the center of the installation, this sound is activated, increasing slightly with each new visitor in the room, while the sounds from the peripheral speakers fade with each. These sonic variations are subtle and often imperceptible, symbolizing how indirect violence toward nature can remain hidden from human perception. Over time, the installation reveals how it transforms according to public participation, functioning as a powerful metaphor for the invisible and persistent impacts of human activity on marine ecosystems. The work challenges the viewer to reconsider the costs of our environmental interventions and the unseen effects of our technological advances, even sustainable ones.