WHY:

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The process of this piece started with the topic of interspecies relation and lead trough the concept of symbiosis towards these beings.

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As Lynn Margulis introduced to the scientific community there is much indication that the basis of evolution is actually symbiosis, working together rather than the proclaimed survival of the fittest. In current times the message, that things actually come from collaboration and collective processes is more important than ever. ​​

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These beings show us, how other forms of life practice these things in different inspiring ways.

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Today we started to pick up on the effects of human supremacy, ending up in human pollution, destruction (climate change and so on). ​​​

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In order to really care about something people need to truly experience it. Closeness and relation are essential for understanding and feeling relevance.

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We know Everything impacts everything, even if its is far away. But how often and intense do we feel it? Many of these things that impact everything are hard for an individual human being to actually perceive. Constantly our Human supremacy is acted out, most of our actions have catastrophic consequences. We need to care about aspects not in immediate proximity, such as human pollution / destruction. Therefore in today's world the need persists stronger than ever to even perceive things out of our perceptive range, might this be through distance, complexity, obscurity, sensory incapability or spatial placement. Let us train to perceive.

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It becomes therefore relevant to share the existence of such remarkable beings, also in a context where they naturally do not exist. A digital presentation will not create a possibility to bond, which is vital for people to truly care about something. Which then again is vital for us to change our destruction of things.

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Do you critique that this work is only anthropomorphising the ants?

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click here:

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The point is to introduce the beings and their remarkable work together, while still leaving the first encounter open for the visitors to have a personal experience and reaction, which then might be challenged or confirmed with introducing them to knowledge about what they actually experienced. Knowledge will always change what and how we perceive and we have to acquire more in this cruel world.

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HOW:

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The installation setup represents parallels to the ants behaviour and way of communication but at the same time utilises specific technology in order to make the installation possible in the first place.

The dramaturgy of the installation offers to make the experience several times, with improved knowledge and tools, to experience how perception can change.

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TECHNICAL DETAILS:

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ALISO:

The installation uses the Aliso Allsounder, a specialised geophone, designed for biologists to record extremely faint sounds in the soil, to asses the status of biodiversity from sound data. It consists of two parts, the first being a needle like sensor, based on Piezo-surface-microhpone technology which is put into substrates like soil. The other part is a waterproof box, hosting a very capable amplifier, which as of its quality makes it possible to to push the noise floor, which is normal for other microphones further down. This is of vital importance as sounds such as the “footsteps” of the ants are so faint, that they normally would be covered by noise and therefore inaudible. In this case the Aliso is placed in the formicarium (terrarium for ants) and the sound recorded is immediately send to the headphones and then to the speakers after being processed. 

ACOUSPADE:

The speakers in use are directional speakers based on hypersonic technology. In practice these speakers project the sound in a beam characteristic in front of them, creating the possibility to have sound in space while limiting it to more specific spots only. This is of vital importance as the Aliso is so sensitive that it you can already create harsh feedback, when listening to the sound live on headphones and putting the headphones to close to the needle. Therefore these speakers are the only possible option, when creating a sound installation in space. At the same time they present an interesting analogy to the workings of the ants, who put down pheromones to create trails, which are then investigated by others. 

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INSTALLATION -  DRAMATURGY:

1. welcome: A Table in the foyer, from which tea is being served. The artist is present and available for conversations. Visitors receive a tea and a flashlight; then are told to follow the trail. A rose petal trail leads towards the library through the corridor. There is only minimal light. A directional speaker will play a short associative dialogue. Evoking the feeling what is heard is about humans. A sign is elaborating the importance of quiet exploration: “silence can reveal broader things”, ---->“don’t be afraid, let your senses guide you.” 

2. the ants:  When entering the library the room is dark. On the floor there is a line of phospholuminescent tape which lights up more and more as people walk trough with the light. The tape leads a line through a zig zag labyrinth. Directional speakers are positioned on the line, so that when moving on the line, sound can be heard best. The line leads towards the terrarium (formicarium) containing the acromyrmex octospinosus (leafcutter-ants). A bench or similar invites people to sit down. The formicarium is placed on a high glass table. It consists of the 3 different necessary chambers. One for trash, one for the ants and the fungus, and a bigger one, as the harvesting grounds/ food chamber. In the fungus chamber the tip of the Aliso allsounder geophone is placed in the fungus and in the substrate. This makes it possible to hear all kinds of sounds the ants make, even their footsteps. This sound is played by all directional speakers leading up to this moment before, and can only be fully understood when at the end, right in front of it. To offer the possibility to go even deeper, headphones are offered which make it possible to hear also the low frequencies and some higher frequencies than the directional speakers can produce.

3. conversations: When visitors leave the room, they will come back to the tea table, where they are invited for a conversation with the artist about what they experienced. Depending on the questions or reactions different aspects will be shared by the artist.  Further material such as elaborate recordings and images are provided in the form of a webpage which can be accessed and listened too from a computer (rubenbass.com/performant), to to elaborate on the research background of the project and to share knowledge about the astonishing society of them. 

4. the return: It will be offered that people can go back, experiencing anew, with different knowledge. If they want; they are asked to be respectful of others entering the first time. Visitors are offered to take a portable microscope and Magnifiers back into the installation to take a closer look at the ants. In this way the first experience is your own, and the second influenced by knowledge. making it possible for the people to experience how knowledge changes their relation to the animals.