unearth / Paleo-Pacific

Shun Owada (JP)

unearth / Paleo-Pacific is a project that explores the fundamental elements of sound: the atmosphere and time. The work utilizes limestone produced through the fossilization of fusulina, small marine organisms that vanished during the greatest mass extinction 250 million years ago. Fusulina formed their bodies by biological fixation of CO2 in the sea. Which means that CO2 is stored in these fossils (limestones). Dripping dilute acid onto them causes the fossils to melt, and releases CO2 into the space. Standing in front of the speaker, viewers can listen to the extremely subtle sound of fossils melting.

 

unearth / Paleo-Pacific / Shun Owada (JP), Credit: vog.photo

 

The work questions how we can or cannot sense the aspects of time beyond the human scale by listening to sound.