Wells, water holes, hot springs and billabongs were until recently central meeting points for communities worldwide. For this installation Australian artist, Allen Giddy will construct two sonic wells: one in Cobh, County Cork, Ireland and the other in Sydney, Australia, creating a virtual hole (12,720km long) through the earth connecting Ireland with Australia.Each well will collect ambient sounds which, transmitted live, will be emitted from its sister well. Thus for instance, people near the well in Cobh will hear live audio from its sister well in Sydney and vice versa!
The aim of this project is to create a contemporary gathering place that mirrors both the history of wells and expand its potential by connecting geographically separate but related communities through collective soundscapes. An additional aim is to highlight the immigration patterns between Ireland and Australia and its special significance to Cobh.
Each well will be relatively small and will be constructed to compliment the local architecture (see simulated site images below) the wells will integrate with the aesthetics of each site whilst incorporating a minimal aesthetic reference to the site of the sister well. The aesthetic of the wells is currently being determined through consultation with local stone masons and will be designed to complement and merge with the overall site aesthetic.
Installation runs until 5 October
