Dance of a Tiger:
Multi-dimensional Mapping of Migration Tracks of Pelagic Species
Phase I Study: Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia, 2012
Phase II Study: Moltkerei Werkstatt, Cologne Germany, through Stadt Köln Kunst und Kultur artist residency program, 2013
Exhibition: data-driven site-specific installation, TAG gallery, University of Florida, FL, 2017
Medium: soundscape, data sonification (6-channel, phase I; 8-channel with Sea Surface Temperature data, phase II)
Data Credit: Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP), Dr. Barbara Block and Dr. Randy Kochevar of Stanford University
Year: 2012, 2013, 2017
Description:
This installation experiments with a multi-dimensional soundscape to map out migration tracks of pelagic (open-ocean) species of one predator and three prey over the course of a two-year period, in the environment of their corresponding sea surface temperature (SST) changes. These studies would ultimately be incorporated into creating an immersive installation where audience would rely on wearable devices to experience a visual and audible environment that reflected the diversity and abundance of life in the oceans. Specially, the installation would also address the pressing concern of over-fishing, and the evolution of these oceanic lives over time and across geographic locations. Our eventual goal for the project is to provide the audience with the feeling of being submerged under water and being able to detect and interact within a simulated oceanic environment.
Experimental Detail:
This data sonification installation utilizes data extracted from the live tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) project. TOPP is a project began in 2000 as one of 17 projects of the Census of Marine Life, a 10-year, 80-nation endeavor to assess and explain the diversity and abundance of life in the oceans, and where that life has lived, is living, and will live. Tagged animals send back data via satellites such as Argos, a polar-orbiting satellite.
Intermingled in the soundscape are mapped migration activities of pelagic (open-ocean) species of one Salmon Shark and three Northern Elephant Seals over the course of a two year period (Jan 2011- Jan 2013), along with corresponding Sea Surface Temperature (SST) changes of the shark’s tagged positions. Sitting in the middle of the room, the blindfolded audience becomes the shark with a heightened sense of hearing detecting its prey’s spatial and directional location. These activities are submerged in the mapped sound of Sea Surface Temperature changes surrounding the shark covering an area of 121,000 km2 along the track.
The first two phases of the project experiments with various fitting methods and certain software and hardware responses.
Technical Notes:
Jiayi Young in collaboration with Shih-Wen Young, Natalie Bewernitz and Marek Goldowski
Phase II Study: Moltkerei Werkstatt, Cologne Germany, through Stadt Köln Kunst und Kultur artist residency program, 2013
Exhibition: data-driven site-specific installation, TAG gallery, University of Florida, FL, 2017
Medium: soundscape, data sonification (6-channel, phase I; 8-channel with Sea Surface Temperature data, phase II)
Data Credit: Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP), Dr. Barbara Block and Dr. Randy Kochevar of Stanford University
Year: 2012, 2013, 2017
Description:
This installation experiments with a multi-dimensional soundscape to map out migration tracks of pelagic (open-ocean) species of one predator and three prey over the course of a two-year period, in the environment of their corresponding sea surface temperature (SST) changes. These studies would ultimately be incorporated into creating an immersive installation where audience would rely on wearable devices to experience a visual and audible environment that reflected the diversity and abundance of life in the oceans. Specially, the installation would also address the pressing concern of over-fishing, and the evolution of these oceanic lives over time and across geographic locations. Our eventual goal for the project is to provide the audience with the feeling of being submerged under water and being able to detect and interact within a simulated oceanic environment.
Experimental Detail:
This data sonification installation utilizes data extracted from the live tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) project. TOPP is a project began in 2000 as one of 17 projects of the Census of Marine Life, a 10-year, 80-nation endeavor to assess and explain the diversity and abundance of life in the oceans, and where that life has lived, is living, and will live. Tagged animals send back data via satellites such as Argos, a polar-orbiting satellite.
Intermingled in the soundscape are mapped migration activities of pelagic (open-ocean) species of one Salmon Shark and three Northern Elephant Seals over the course of a two year period (Jan 2011- Jan 2013), along with corresponding Sea Surface Temperature (SST) changes of the shark’s tagged positions. Sitting in the middle of the room, the blindfolded audience becomes the shark with a heightened sense of hearing detecting its prey’s spatial and directional location. These activities are submerged in the mapped sound of Sea Surface Temperature changes surrounding the shark covering an area of 121,000 km2 along the track.
The first two phases of the project experiments with various fitting methods and certain software and hardware responses.
Technical Notes:
- *two dimensional tags are fitted into smooth curves to form migration tracks (seal relative to shark). Tracks are then mapped into the waveforms with subjective frequency assigned.
- *SST data is fitted into smooth curves, then mapped into waveforms with subjective frequency assigned.
- *mapped animal track sounds are outputted in the lower speakers
- *mapped SST sounds are outputted in the top speakers
Jiayi Young in collaboration with Shih-Wen Young, Natalie Bewernitz and Marek Goldowski