IJ-hallen 2023
Sonic Acts presents Plastic Hypersea by Sissel Marie Tonn
Plastic Hypersea is an interactive, site-specific work by artist Sissel Marie Tonn which was commissioned by Sonic Acts and can be experienced at the NDSM Wharf in Amsterdam.
Set in the year 2099, Plastic Hypersea is a guided, spatial and interactive experience that speculates on a possible future for the field of immunology in which it has merged with the field of Environmental Health. As the listener explores the terrain they are invited to imagine the environment as an extension of their immune system and to contemplate the many ways in which their bodies are entangled with microplastics in the sediments of Amsterdam’s waterways. Ultimately, Plastic Hypersea asks listeners to abandon the war metaphors haunting immunology and to contemplate a more expanded sense of self.
Produced in collaboration with musician Vincenzo AcquAria Castellana and sound and recording artist BJ Nilsen, the geolocated sound experience is augmented with custom boat sails and ceramic sculptures, created by Sissel, which act as ‘membranes’ encoded with material and immaterial data about the hydrophobic industrial waste flowing through the waters of the Netherlands.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Sissel Marie Tonn is a Danish artist based in The Hague. Her practice focuses on the shifts in perception that occur when humans are entangled with their environment, blurring the boundaries between bodies and surroundings. Her artistic research often results in interactive sensorial installations and objects as an invitation for the audience to actively participate in her works.
Plastic Hypersea is built on Echoes, an interactive GPS-triggered audio walks mobile app. To access the work, download the app from the App Store or Google Play, put on your earphones and wander around the area of the NDSM Wharf following the sails and ceramic sculptures. The gradual unfolding of the work will be triggered as you walk and explore the area.
Plastic Hypersea art @Yhelling, photo credits: Robin van Dijk
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Plastic Hypersea can be experienced in the public space of the NDSM-wharf from the 23rd of April until at least the end of May. Please keep the corona-related regulations, such as keeping 1.5 meter distance at all times and avoiding large gatherings, in mind while experiencing the work.