Arion 228 (No dolphins left)
Installation and performance (Ice, sound composition 3' 00'')
This project grew out of the urgency to contribute in my small way to generate awareness of the rising ocean temperatures and of underwater noise pollution caused by human activities.
Lyrae, Installation view, 2021
Delphinus, Installation view, 2021
“Arion” stands for “Arion from Methymna”, according to Greek mythology he was supposedly the greatest lyre player of his time, living in Corinth in the seventh century B.C. He travelled to Sicily and Taranto, where he made a fortune with his art. After he had accumulated so much wealth, he decided to go back to Corinth but during the return voyage by ship, the crew plotted to throw him overboard and steal his money. Actually they offered him to choose between hurling himself into the sea or killing himself so he could be buried on land. Before facing his sad fate, as a dying wish, Arion asked to play his lyre for the last time and then he would have jumped into the sea. The sound of Arion's song attracted a multitude of dolphins around the ship, so, as he threw himself into the sea, one of them took him on his back and carried him to safety. Because of Arion's skill with the lyre, he and the dolphin are believed to be placed among the stars by Apollo, becoming the constellations Lyra and Delphinus. (Corrisponding to the ice placement)
“228” Zetta joule is the amount of energy absorbed by the oceans in the last 25 years. To better understand this number, Professor Lijing Cheng, lead paper author of this research study made a quite effective comparison: “The Hiroshima atom-bomb exploded with an energy of about 63,000,000,000,000 Joules, the amount of heat we have put in the world's oceans in the past 25 years is equal to 3.6 billion Hiroshima atom-bomb explosions”. There is an extremely large imbalance between sea and land, mainly because oceans absorb more than 90 percent of excess heat created by human activities. How much longer can this imbalance endure?
Sounds were recorded through an hydophone dipped along the Venice canals and were edited together with some guitar notes, choosing only some specific frequencies, according to the “sensitive zone” of acquatic organisms and of humans. The aim of the project was to reconnect human sensitivity to the fragile and essential marine ecosystem.
