PERIMETER:SARICHEF
12 to 24 channel audio installation, 2011

Surrounded by the Chuckchi Sea, near the northern tip of Alaska, is Sarichef Island (current population 565). This small strip of land has recently gained worldwide attention as being one of the most dramatic examples of the effects of global climate change because it is literally disappearing into the sea due to accelerated melting of the protective sea ice and permafrost, exposing it to advanced weather erosion. In 2002, the Inupiaq community of Sarichef island voted to relocate to the mainland of Alaska, efforts to slow the erosion are being implemented and plans and funding to relocate the residents are forming. Sarichef is witnessing its final years with the receding coastline a shrinking noose around its inhabitants.

While news reports have focussed on the dramatic imagery of homes falling into the ocean and portraits of residents, PERIMETER SARICHEF looks outward to the sea itself and the eroding definitions between ground, ocean and horizon.

High resolution audio recordings were made at twenty-four equidistant locations around the perimeter of Sarichef using four distinct recording techniques:

- heterodyne receiver recording high frequency atmospheric sounds - 5min excerpt
- geophones recording the low frequency physical interaction of the water on the shoreline - 5min excerpt
- traditional X/Y condensers pointed away from the island towards the distant ocean horizon - 5min excerpt
- deeply buried geophones recording the vacuum of moisture through the sand - 5min excerpt

The result is a combination of hearing the entire coastline of Sarichef at once, plus the extended range of detail provided by the various recording techniques, both experiences not normally possible with the unaided ear. PERIMETER SARICHEF serves two purposes - It is a critical record of a disappearing landscape which raises awareness of the direct impacts of climate change. The project is also a personal record for the inhabitants of Sarichef Island, documenting an experience that will be extinct within a short period of time. This provides a unique time capsule of their homeland by focusing on the relationship between their island and element which most defines and influences their way of life: the ocean.

This project is created through the generous assistance of a production grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, and the support of the community on Sarichef. My deepest thanks to both for making this project possible.

TECHNICAL

PERIMETER:SARICHEF uses twelve to twenty four (depending on venue) compact high resolution speakers with custom tilted floor bases. The speakers are connected to a 12-channel audio interface and an Apple computer running Logic Studio, providing discreet channels to the individual speakers.

Speakers, bases, laptop, audio interface and 50 foot shielded audio cables are provided by artist. The host venue is responsible for providing sufficient grounded power leads for the twelve speakers and laptop.

The installation is adaptable for rooms starting at approximately 15 feet (shortest dimension) and larger, and is a very portable system for transport.

PERIMETER:SARICHEF is intended for a darkened room with no other concurrent visual or audio exhibition. A low level and diffused central light may be used to establish visual orientation and for safety.



This project is created through the assistance of a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, and the support of the community on Sarichef.