Lithochronometry
Lithochronometry is a triptych that explores the relations between human-stones-machine through memory. The project aims to question our position in the world as entities, human and non-human, and to suggest and imagine ways to create intertwined worlds. What memory can be, from the perspective of a stone? How can we reflect on each other’s memories, human and non human?
Keywords: audio sculptures, AV sculpture, clay, stones, memory, artificial intelligence, human non-human relations,archive.
“Being, written in stone” is an 8 channel installation with 8 sculptures. The sculptures are made of clay and each of them is enclosing a speaker. The installation is a collaboration with the artist Leandros Marios Basteas, as part of the collective Xώma (Anna Phaenarete Lioka and Leandros Marios Basteas). Moreover, they are in the form of stones, created by memories of the stones that we encountered. The installation creates a spatial composition of the individual sculptures but at the same time leaving the space to be in individually.
The second part of the triptych is a sound sculpture. Lithochronometry is referring to the term Geochronometry which is the measurement of geological time to produce a numerical time-scale, but instead using the word lithos (λίθος) which in Greek means stone. Inside the sculpture a 6 channel setup is placed hidden in the walls of the sculptured circle, additionally a video projection inside the circle is placed, leaving the external shape as it is. For the sculpture a material called ytong has been used. YTONG is an autoclaved cellular concrete composed of sand, water and air. The surface of an YTONG wall absorbs noise into its numerous partly open cells, the sound in a room reflects less off the walls, which reduces the reverberation (echo) in the space when it is used for construction.
The final part of the triptych is an archive consisting of stones and pictures of selected frames of the dataset and their variations. The stones incorporated into this artwork have a rich history spanning approximately on year. Some were carefully chosen during the process of filming and recording, capturing a moment in time. Others were collected from various locations, sourced through requests made to friends, while some hold sentimental value from my childhood home, where they existed during the period I resided there Each stone holds a unique story, gathered along the artistic journey. They symbolize moments, experiences, and connections, forming a tangible link to the past.
These stones not only serve as physical elements within the artwork but also represent the layers of memory and meaning that have accumulated over time. They bring a sense of rootedness, embodying the essenc of the artist’s experiences and connections to the world.
The printed pictures of the dataset and their variations serve as visual representations of the transformational process undergone during the creation of the artwork. Each frame holds its own unique characteristics an variations, reflecting the complexity and diversity found within the quarry walls Together, the stones and printed pictures form a cohesive archive, bridging the realms of the physical and the visual. They become tangible artifacts of the artistic journey, encapsulating the artist’s exploration of sound materiality, and visual aesthetics.
