Eco-location

Ecolocation, by Hagop Ohannessian, suggested that solitude is indispensable when it comes to forming an integrated understanding of nature. He considers our fractured relationship with it at present, pointing to the ongoing devastation of our oceans. His installation presented the multi-sensorial perspective of whales – intelligent beings who play a vital role in marine ecosystems. Whales are forced to navigate a habitat strewn with noise and plastic pollution, by-products of the global shipping industry. By creating a contemplative environment, Hagop generated empathy for their threatened existence and further, made a sobering connection between the state of our marine ecosystems and that of our own habitat. Both fragile and yet, neglected.

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The installation consisted of six acoustic panels, depicting spectrograms of vocalizations from six cetacean species: the Right Whale, Vaquita, Orca, Dolphin, Pilot Whale, and Rissos’s Dolphin. The panels, and spectrograms, were enclosed in reclaimed plastic sheets. Each panel had a loudspeaker inducer attached to the back, through which the underwater soundscape was brought to life. A 20 minute, 6-channel soundtrack was played on loop through these panels, incorporating vocalizations from the natural world as well as noise pollution from the shipping industry. The soundtrack ended with an uncomfortably loud crescendo – explosions from nearby dredging operations. The arrangement of panels all around the interior circumference, throwing out sound vibrations and visible wave patterns, created an overall effect that transported visitors into the world of whales.

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