Vymatics Unveiled at The Aquarium
Thoughtfully crafted to elevate what matters most.
On July 21, 2022, a sell-out crowd was greeted at the National Aquarium's Main Entrance with wireless headsets playing an audio journey synchronized to their movement through the Aquarium. The auditory adventure “Voyages: Chapter 1” led guests through the Aquarium's array of aquatic habitats for an interactive, after-hours experience designed to inspire and intrigue.
After months of research at the National Aquarium, Shodekeh created a unique breath art soundscape that emulated the sounds of the natural world and served as the underpinning to a narrative about the intersection of the biodiversity on display within our buildings and conservation bioacoustics—the study of the many layers of sound present in any ecosystem.
Voyages Chapter One
Visitors learned about the orchestral nature of an ecosystem's bioacoustics via a narrative track including featured scientist Ashakur Rahaman and his colleague Dr. Aaron Rice of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology. Their engaging explanation of the field of bioacoustics played over Shodekeh's mesmerizing breath art, recorded and mixed by local artist Erik Spangler, creating a layered, holistic audio experience.
Shodekeh's six-movement composition for the event was entitled "Vymatics," applying the "V" in "vocal" to Cymatics, generated by sound vibrations on water and seen through a cymascope, which was developed and executed by Erica Hansen. As the track played through the headsets, voyagers encountered these cymatic animations projected onto Aquarium walls. Each light projection represented a real-time responsive projection of the biodiverse communications found within the "Vymatics" composition that the artists created.
The mandala-like animations created an ambient experience combining lights, sounds, and the sights and sensations of our underwater world, allowing visitors to experience the National Aquarium like never before in a multi-sensory immersive event
The original soundscape tracks were composed by
Dominic Shodekeh Talifero, produced and recorded by Erik Spangler, visualized by Erica Hansen; with special guest vocalizations by Jezie Zhunio and Erik Spangler.
Special thanks to David Schiermeyer who provided inspiration and support with our first visualizations.
The film can also be viewed as individual movements below, or downloaded along with a map and program from the National Aquarium to experience on-site when you visit.
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The Air Paradigm Movements 1 and 2: Wonga Pidgeon and Blue Faced Honey Eater
To be viewed in Australia Wild Extremes
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The Ocean Paradigm Movement 3: Black Drum Fish
To be viewed in Maryland: Mountains to the Sea
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The Ocean Paradigm Movement 4: Dolphin
To be viewed in: Dolphin Discovery
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The Land Paradigm Movement 5: Golden Dart Frog and Ecuador Poison Frog
To be viewed in: Upland Tropical Rain Forest
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The Land Paradigm Movement 6: Homo Sapiens
To be viewed in: Blacktip Reef
