THE EGG
WORLD POPULATION SCULPTURESoftware design
The Egg is a project by Marco Barotti
Co-produced by Tokyo Biennale, Dystopie Festival and Bildstörung Festival,
assistant: Alex Blondeau
text: Anna Anderegg
Supported by: Cycling ‘74 and Worldometer
Special thanks to Marco Canevacci, Yena Young, Stefan Dietzelt, Carsten Reith & Daniel Brunet
CURRENT WORLD POPULATION
Ten thousand years ago, there were 1 million people living on the planet, fifty years ago there were 3 billion of us and, by the end of this century, we are estimated to reach a population of 10 billion people! We have modified almost every part of our planet and, as we continue to grow, our need for vital resources increases exponentially. We human beings are the main force behind every global problem we face.
Marco Barotti’s new work is a kinetic sound sculpture resembling an egg. The cycle of life, reflected in the shape of the sculpture with neither beginning nor end, symbolizes fertility and reproduction - and thus questions the impact of overpopulation. Driven by real-time data generated by the Worldometer, the sculpture constantly changes its shape.
The data produced by the Worldometer counter recording births and deaths is converted into bass frequencies. These frequencies are pitched below what is audibly perceptible by human beings, infrasound. They are too low to be heard but powerful enough to drive the subwoofer to produce movements, air pressure and sound vibrations to interact with the flexible membrane of the structure. This creates unpredictable patterns that continuously reshape the sculpture. The EGG is made out of natural rubber, a high-tech latex material produced from tree bark.
