Choral (2019)
3D animation with sound
v1.0: 15360x2160 px; 6,5x47 meters
duration 11’55
5 August-30 September 2019
Commissioned by 150 Media Stream with additional funds provided by the Illinois Arts Council and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
localStyle’s installation Choral regards coral reefs as the metaphorical ‘voice’ of the Anthropocene, hence the title (and the soundtrack’s otherworldly electronic choir). Although our computerized 3D visualization of various corals is initially grounded in scientific research, some of their behavior reflects our imagination via speculative underwater world-building. The habitats that corals create are fundamental to the sustainability of a quarter of all marine species, but these ecosystems are in crisis. Despite major challenges, there are possibilities for fostering coral regeneration and recovery, and reason thus for guarded optimism. Choral is our artistic contribution to a larger-scale human response. [Click to watch the trailer for the premiere at 150 Media Stream; scroll down to see other versions of the project.]
localStyle co-authored a chapter—“Coral Voices”—with details about their research-driven practice and creative process in the 2020 book Technology, Design and the Arts: Opportunities and Challenges [PDF].
Choral (2022)
v4.0: 5690x2488 px; 169.86 x 74.26 meters (557.29 x 243.644 feet)(projection surface area=2.5 acres (10,000 square meters)
duration 12’55
9 April-29 June 2022
Made for Art on theMART with primary funding provided by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). This version covered the entire façade of Chicago’s iconic Merchandise Mart, and could be experienced from the River Walk on the Chicago River, or from Upper Wacker Drive between Franklin and Wells Streets. Click to watch documentation of the full work here.
AOTM photos by Margo Hawk