Electromagnetic Signals from Bacterial DNA - Synthetic Aesthetics - V&A Cast Courts

This installation imagines the sound of electrons moving through the ‘loops’ of a bacterial DNA molecule. The sound itself evolves, mimicking bioacoustic environments. It is inspired by recent theoretical research in biochemistry speculating that the electrons in bacterial DNA emit electromagnetic signals that might be audible through an electrocoil microphone. The installation is a fictional realisation that uses sound design to translate into a physical experience. This work was created using Max/Msp and SuperVP processing, diffusing over an array of four D&B audio loudspeakers.

The installation was commissioned for the Synthetic Aesthetics takeover at the Victoria and Albert Museum in May 2014 and was later shown at Exo Evolution ZKM Karlsruhe 2015 curated by Peter Weibel.