Meditations on Geological Time

Meditations on Geological Time is an interactive sound installation mediating the relationship between geological timescales and phenomenological time through four distinct sound compositions. Each composition sonifies terrestrial phenomena within the range of human hearing as pure-tone sine waves, rendering billions of years of the Earth’s transformations as a legible, contemporary experience. 

Rocks sourced from around the world—and set to be returned after the showcase—bridge subjective human experience and deep time. Viewers interact with these rocks, influencing the sonic composition, which is further reflected through sine-waves and tactile vibrations. This somatic portal engenders a state of shared embodiment between humanity and the Earth, reconciling the differences in timescales. Within this shared state of being, Gorelick seeks to cultivate what geologist Marcia Bjornerud calls “temporal literacy,” or the ability to recognize how processes unfolding over vast time spans shape the future, thus compelling viewers to evaluate their individual agency within the broader context of the Earth's ecosystems.

Curatorial text by Sheldon Goochidj