Radio Sea was created for the 2015 Isles Arts Initiative, in response to historical research and present-day observations on Gallops Island in Boston Harbor. During WW2, Gallops Island was used as a training site for radio communications. I like to imagine the cacophony of sound the novice operators must have generated – only audible to people who knew how to tune into their transmissions.
Today, the island can’t be visited (due to unremediated asbestos on site), so the only way to “go” to Gallops Island is to watch it from a distance. I am intrigued by places that are within sight, yet out of touch – I wanted to create the feeling of reaching towards something you can’t quite grasp.
11 vintage glass canning jars rest atop hidden capacitive sensors. When a visitor dips her fingers into the salt water that fills the jars she creates a momentary electrical connection, triggering a sound loop.
The sound loops that correspond to each jar are designed to mesh harmoniously, creating a more complex sonic experience as more people interact.
