Through eight listening stations, the audio installation Epicentre questions the notion of peace and quiet for urbanites seeking wilderness experiences. Beginning with recordings gathered from downtown Vancouver, where ‘OH, CA-NA-DA” booms at noon daily, the subsequent seven recordings radiate out in 2000 m intervals until the sounds of nature overwhelm urban noise detritus.

When installed, pathways in the form of ever-expanding circles (mowed or trampled) radiate from a centre, physically mimicking sound emissions in three-dimensional space.  On each circle, one flagged location marker and a small backpack serve as a listening station. Visitors navigate with small hand-cranked radios to receive audio transmissions when in close proximity to each backpack.

Tiki Mulvihill’s, Epicentre, produced in co-production with:

The Banff New Media Institute, The Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta, Canada, 2010. 

Special thank-you to Marc Bernier.

                  AN EXTRA VIDEO I occurred in Banff

                            CLARA T. WITNESS