Dark Drops, by Robertina Šebjanič, sound installation, 2018

A sensuous immersing into quiet, dark and chill surroundings which remind of subterranean caves, leads us to a place whose living conditions are, on the long term, hostile for human beings, but home to special organisms that can survive in this extreme environment. In the caves, which are still affected by secret, darkness and a special beauty, the biological and geological time seems to pass by in different speed, clocked from the sound of the drops of water which are breaking the silence in his powerful presence. The drop of water pearls in the glass constructions, which reverberates in the silence of the “cave”, conveys us to an idea of simultaneous stretching and contraction of time and refers to a world whose horizon is far taller than our perception.

production: esc medien kunst labor, Sektor Institute 2018
pre-production done in 2016 within the project “The Liquid Time Capsule”

Special thanks:Tea Hvala, Andreea Oarga-Mulec, Miha Colner, Rene Rusjan, Bunker, Franjo Drole (Karst Research Institute), Jure Pirih, master glassblower Peter Kolobarič

Link to project: http://robertina.net/dark-drops

Time Displacement / Chemobrionic Garden, by Robertina Šebjanič, Ida Hiršenfelder and Aleš Hieng – Zergon, interactive, generative (chemical) sound installation, 2015

The installation explores a relationship between hydrothermal chemistry, the passage of time, and the evolution of sound. The project consists of several small chemical garden formations in a water glass (sodium metasilicate) solution, to provide an insight into research on the origin of life and on chemical processes. The chemical reactions are monitored by cameras to detect changes in color and in shape by means of microcontrollers. The changes affect the code for live sound generation, and slowly alter the generative drone composition pervading the gallery space. The project’s theoretical background is based on a paper entitled “From chemical gardens to chemobrionics”, a reiterating call for research into the principles of self-assembling structures, to produce new insights into the origin of metabolism in Earth’s early geological periods. The chemical reactions and the growth of the crystals influence and change, for the duration of the exhibition, the drone composition and the visual aspect of the installation. The chemical growth can be controlled to a certain extent, but it also becomes independent and surprises again and again with its unpredictable figures and forms. The sounds of the installation are broadcast via audiostream on Radio Helsinki and on the radio’s website, Tuesdays from 11a.m. to 12a.m.

“In crystal we have a pure evidence of the existence of a formative life principle, and although in spite of everything we cannot understand the life of crystals – it is still a living being.” [Nikola Tesla, 1900]

research and development: Robertina Šebjanič, Ida Hiršenfelder, Aleš Hieng – Zergon

programming: Slavko Glamočanin

production: project Atol Institute and Ljudmila – Ljubljana Digital Media Lab, 2015

nomination: Time Displacement / Chemobrionic Garden was nominated for STARTS 2016! Award.

Link to Projekt: http://robertina.net/time-displacement-chemobrionic-garden/

Link to Video: https://vimeo.com/150334877