Seismic Grief is an outdoor sound installation that incorporates sonic inflatable sculptures that are designed and shaped using seismic data that was captured during the earthquake in Turkey and Syria on February 6th, 2023 from two different sites, Turkey and the United States.

Borrowing the term “material witness” from Susan Schuppli, and accompanied by a sound composition that is influenced by Sara Ahmed’s text “The Cultural Politics of Emotion,” this installation positions itself as a study of sound as a material witness to grief.

Seismic Grief was installed at the Caramoor Arts Center as part of the Sonic Innovations 2024 exhibit, curated by Stephan Moore, between June and October 2024.

Credits:

Data Compilation & Design & Sound & Concept & Composition: Senem Pirler

Inflatable Fabrication & Inflatable Design Consultation: Pneuhaus

Technical Assistance & Interaction Guideline Drawing: Monica Duncan

Data Visualization Consultation: Jeremy Stewart and Caleb Hawkins

All seismic data were downloaded through the EarthScope Consortium Wilber 3 system or EarthScope Consortium Web Services.