~~ Not Breaking ~~ This Wave Drowns Hate ~~ is a story of communication across boundaries, a collective envisioning of more harmonious futures with the oceans in the face of the polycrisis. This dynamic and constantly evolving installation responds not only to the exhibition’s visitors but also to the voice of the ocean, prompting a bespoke AI agent to continuously re-envision images of sustainable ocean futures, projected onto sail cloth
from a traditional Irish sailing vessel.
Visitors are drawn through the exhibition by 5 bronze sculptures, hand cast in a replica bronze-age foundry, their movement sensed and fed to the installation’s AI, which has been trained on a database of inspirations contributed by residents of the Irish Atlantic Coast. Using the themes of coexistence and the coevolution of ecosystems with microplastics, ~~ Not Breaking ~~ This Wave Drowns Hate ~~ addresses the ongoing effects of human influence and proposes pathways toward a more symbiotic, reparative, and thriving future.
~~ Not Breaking ~~ This Wave Drowns Hate ~~ addresses crucial questions about the role of AI in a world beset by worsening anthropogenic environmental crises while simultaneously offering alternative frameworks for developing tools to envision a more sustainable future for the planet as an evolving ecosystem.
– Kat Austen
Central to the project are two innovative technological elements. First, the prototype of the Symbiophone, which detects, sonifies, and extracts microplastic particles from water, transforming data into an immersive auditory experience. Second, an AI Agent trained using images created by the local portside community members in Galway. Within the installation, the Galway waters, the public, and the AI Agent will work together to generate visions for a future defined by human-sea relationships, centred on remediation, mutual growth, and ecological lushness.
Artist: Kat Austen
Digital Artist and Technological Coordinator: Daniel Hengst
AI Researchers: Sarmad Khan, Shubhanker Banerjee, Boualem Benatallah, ADAPT
Engineering: Ed Devane
Community Partners: Access for All Galway, Galway City Partnership, University of Galway, Scoil Bhríde Shantalla, Galway Hooker Sailing Club, Interface Inagh
Vision Contributors:
Maeve Kernan, Maria Buckley, Time, Ciaran Oliver, Susanne Lally, Bartley Fannin, eclaire, Teanasea, Marina Postir, Cormac Ó Gibne, Oksana, Yermolieva, Yana Diadchuk, Alona, Flanna Bell, Olena Tolkachenko, Kateryna Samko, Elvira Sieitabla, Kostiantyn Aleksandrov, Josh Cuskelly, Sean McManus, AJ, Dobrusia, Niamh Snowdon, Erin Smith, Ailbhe Whyte, Leon McAleenan, Linda Schirmer, Breda Burns, Laney Mannion, Natasha Johnson
Producer: BetaFestival
Local producers: CultureWorks
Support received from:
This work was commissioned within the framework of the S+T+ARTS 4WaterII residency programme by ADAPT Centre at Dublin City University and Beta Festival, produced by Culture Works, with the support of Port of Galway, Galway Culture Company, Galway City Council and the S+T+ARTS programme of the European Union. Supported by iii instrumentinventors.org and Waves of Change funded by the Marine Institute.
Residency Support Network:
About Kat Austen
Kat Austen is a person. Austen’s work conveys the wild and visceral connectedness of humans to the
other(s). Her installations and performances are beautiful yet challenging, confronting the dark edges of
humanity while highlighting our shared experience and knowledge.
Working across disciplines and media forms, Austen critically focuses on the most pressing environmental
and social justice challenges of our times, combining cutting-edge technologies with embodied and analogue techniques to elevate the wonder of the everyday.
Focusing on recovery, remediation and diversity, Austen’s softly forceful artworks communicate emotional
and intellectual relations to sublimate subjectivity and cultivate space for more-than-human perspectives.
Host / Region
BETA Festival & ADAPT/ Dublin, Ireland – Port of Belfast
Abstract
The purpose of this residency and challenge was to imagine ways to support the development of a new and extended Port of Galway to enable the port to better serve the people and businesses of Galway while expanding its role in the transition to renewable energy.
Keywords
AI, data, tides, dredging, harbour, symbiocene, reclaimed land, artificial habitats
Description of the regional challenge
Galway, a historic port city on the West Coast of Ireland, faces a pivotal moment in its evolution. The current limitations of the port, constrained by tidal conditions and vessel capacity, hinder its potential as a hub for trade, tourism economic growth and as a key enabler to the transition to renewable energy. To overcome these challenges, the port is embarking on a transformative journey to expand its capabilities to better enable it to deliver port services to the community and businesses in its region. This involves the relocation and extension of port facilities which will enable larger vessels and 24-hour access and enable the port to enhance its service offering to the onshore wind market and, in time, support windfarm energy offshore as well as an overall green transition.
Through this residency, artists are called to reflect on the following questions:
What role can interdisciplinary collaboration play in tackling the complex challenges of port expansion? How does building the capacity of the port enhance the capacity for culture anchored in sustainability? How can we consider a symbiotic approach to development? And what can the tides teach us about being time tied? We seek proposals for art science projects which highlight and address the dual imperative of enhancing the Port of Galway infrastructure while considering a community centred symbiotic approach to sustainable growth.
How is the mission S+T+ARTS driven?
This residency will be supported by researchers and access to technology through ADAPT – the world-leading Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology – who have specific research expertise in AI, Content Analytics, Machine Translation, Personalisation, Multimodal Interaction, Human- Computer Interaction and Data Management, as well as researchers from the University of Galway. The residency will also be connected and supported by the Irish Maritime Development office who is responsible for national dedicated development, promotional and marketing for the shipping and shipping services sector in Ireland.
Beta Festival critically engages with technologies’ impact on society through creativity, experimentation and debate.
About The Project – Coexistence in a post-Petro-plasticene
Coexistence in a post-Petro-plasticene (working title) uses microplastic coexistence as a prompt to envision sustainable futures that positively impact the environment. The project aims to address current human impacts and propose symbiotic, reparative futures focusing on the Port of Galway redevelopment. Key technologies include the Symbiophone, an instrument measuring, sonifying, and removing microplastics from Galway tides, and an AI Agent trained with data from the Port of Galway community.
Jury Statement
“Strong and well thought out proposal; previous work in this field is very impressive. Innovative proposed use of AI technology and ties in well with the challenges outlined. Has the potential to be highly engaging and conversation-provoking.“
