FOUNTAINS
British School at Rome, Rome & Bus Projects, Melbourne
(2016-17)

Fountains was a series ofinstallations based on research into the geo-thermal formation of Travertine; a terrestrial sedimentary rock formed by the precipitation of carbonate minerals in ground and surface waters. Travertine is a pervasive feature of Roman monuments, especially fountains, and natural calcifications would often obstruct the flow of ancient aqueducts, while huge quarries in Tivoli produced the blocks for Bernini to carve ‘natural’ rock-formations in his Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers). The work reduces the fountain to a roof-leak, the gallery re-imagined as underground cavity, in which irregular drips measure both momentary and deep-time. The work considers the status of the fountain from the perspective of drought, where each droplet is precious. The accompanying soundtrack was composed from recordings of the sonic frequencies of travertine tiles used in the installation. Click below to listen.

Water, travertine, silicone, polycarbonate, irrigation system, sound. Dimensions variable.