The Wandering Monuments

Icebergs – the cold mesmerizing matter of the sea – captivate human attention with their magnitude, purity, and richness of form. Mirage-like as they may be, they are geological manifestations of persistency. Yet the blocks are becoming ephemeral beings, as Promethean man fuels the atmosphere.

“The sounds that icebergs emit make up a varied vocabulary that travels from bay to bay. Each iceberg has its own unique sound and visual signature.” (Béchard Hudon)

In June 2023, Catherine Béchard and Sabin Hudon were traveling along the Iceberg Alley in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Canadian media artists approached the icebergs with hydrophones, microphones, and geophones (seismic sensors designed by the artists to capture ground vibrations). These tools are essential in oceanographic research to forecast the dynamics of ice-melting processes and model their effects on maritime systems.

The artistic research undertaken by Béchard Hudon is part of their current project that will lead to a spatial installation. As the first production stage of this work-in-progress, the ZKM is showing a montage video featuring an artistically modified monolith as a seemingly affixed sculpture in flowing waters. The transfer of the sizzling, crackling, and creaking sounds into the exhibition space contrasts with the silent presence of the iceberg shown in the video. What at first may sound like meditative tunes of nature intensify in the course of listening and becomes a communicative encounter of depth. Does sensing an enigmatic consent prevail – or do we acknowledge a threatening gnawing?

With financial support from the Canada Council for the Arts.