Saturation (Detail)

Saturation (Detail)
Originally uploaded by ~db~

Saturation is an installation that highlights the abundance of wireless signals occupying the electromagnetic spectrum. The work indexes the FM radio spectrum to reveal the density of the invisible communications infrastructure saturating the environment and our bodies.

The work is installed in the form of an enormous chandelier; a set of open aluminum boxes housing FM radios are strung together and hung from the center of the ceiling. At rest, while concealed within their enclosures, the radio receivers output an ocean of static. Once exposed [by pulling on a big red rope in the center of the installation], the radios each connect to a different station, filling the space with a cacophony of noise. This process reveals a densely populated, dynamic array of electromagnetic fields that, while intangible, constantly permeate our bodies and environment.

Daniel Barry
University at Buffalo

Adam Laskowitz
Design 5 and University at Buffalo