The Powerhouse presents Atmospheric Memory

In an Australian premiere, The Powerhouse Museum will feature the unique multi-sensory exhibition, Atmospheric Memory as the centrepiece for its Sydney Science Festival.

Created by Mexican Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and curated by José Luis de Vicente, the interactive, cross-discipline work has enthralled audiences in the UK and the US. This presentation will be a revised version incorporating pieces from the Powerhouse Museum’s extensive and revered collection.

“Atmospheric Memory is inspired by the writing of 19th Century computer pioneer Charles Babbage, who believed that the air surrounding us is a ‘vast library’ containing every sound, motion and word spoken,” Rafael Lozano-Hemmer said. “Babbage wanted to rewind the motion of all molecules of air to hear again the voices of long-lost loved ones, vows and promises unredeemed. Atmospheric Memory, possibly the most ambitious project I have ever undertaken, explores his idea 200 years later, when the dream of perfect recollection is one of the defining conditions of our digital life, and the air that we breathe has become a battleground for the future of our planet.”

Lozano-Hemmer is eclectic in his approach to creativity, using maths, science, architecture and technology to create art that manifests as performance, structure, ambient space, visual and aural sensation.

Atmospheric Memory transforms imperceptible vibrations that surround us into something that can be seen, heard, and touched.

Works include a voice-controlled fountain where spoken words become clouds of text floating in mid-air; a room with over 3,000 different sound channels, like field recordings of 200 species of insects and 300 types of birds; a voice-controlled robotic light beacon, and the world’s first 3D-printed speech bubble.

The Powerhouse presentation will include 50 objects from the museum’s collection including Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine No 1, a general-purpose mechanical calculating machine that anticipated the principles and structure of the modern computer; tinfoil phonograph, a rare example of one of the earliest sound recording and playback machines, invented by Thomas Edison in 1877; and an Aneroid barometer used at Sydney Observatory in the late 1800s to measure atmospheric pressure and make weather forecasts.

“The Powerhouse holds Australia’s most significant collection of science, technological and design objects, including one of the only existing models of Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine No1, completed by his son after his passing. The development of Atmospheric Memory at the Powerhouse is a collaborative process between the artist and museum, and we are excited to share this incredible experience with our visitors,” said Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah.

Sydney Science Festival is being held by Powerhouse Museum in various locations around the city from 11 –20 August.

Atmospheric Memory is on at the Powerhouse Museum from August 12 – November 5.

powerhouse.com.au