Oratorio Mare Nostrum

The Metabolic Studio’s Oratorio Mare Nostrum was a site-responsive 4-channel durational sound installation at the 2019 Official Collateral Venice Biennale. The piece included sounds of underwater breathing, a crystal singing pyramid, a drone and the ambient reverberations of the installation space, the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Penitenti. It played continuously from May 8th - November 24, 2019 as part of the Artists Need to Create on the Same Scale that Society has the Capacity to Destroy: Mare Nostrum curated by Phong Bui (Brooklyn Rail) and Francesca Pietropaolo.

For this Lauren Bon and the Metabolic Studio installation, I composed a drone that worked as an auditorial map of the phases of the moon by selecting a spectrum of frequencies (210hz to 315hz) to be played played equally spaced out over the duration of 2 weeks (3 hours and 12 minutes per frequency) while 215hz played as a constant under the shifting notes. Beginning with the new moon at unison (or 210 hz and 210 hz), the frequencies gradually increased over time corresponding with the moon phases. In this way, a perfect 5th (or 210hz and 315hz) equated to a full moon. Every phase of the moon in between new and full also had a corresponding interval.

When a full moon occurred and a perfect 5th was produced, the drone reversed course. Gradually decreasing as a reflection, the cycle moved from a perfect 5th (or full moon) down to a unison interval (or new moon), repeating over the duration of the installation.

Above: Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Penitenti where Artists Need to Create on the Same Scale that Society Has the Capacity to Destroy: Mare Nostrum was located.

Below: Roxanne Steinberg performing in Lauren Bon and The Metabolic Studio’s Inverted Pine sculpture during the highest acqua alta Venice has had in 50 years.