Echoes From The Ocean is an ecological justice and research-based experimental film that investigates the pervasive effects of ocean noise pollution on marine life—specifically focusing on the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of seven distinct whale species. Through an immersive language of sound-reactive, abstract visuals, the film translates the invisible trauma of noise into a sensorial and poetic experience. At the heart of the installation is a sculptural glass form containing seawater, suspended within a 3D-printed structure. This glass and 3D printed "tar" sculpture serves as both a container and metaphor—evoking themes of captivity, oceanic erosion, acidification, oil spills, and the lingering presence of tar balls. These environmental stressors, exacerbated by human industrial activity, mirror the deterioration of marine ecosystems and the entrapment of nonhuman beings within disrupted sonic environments. Echoes From The Ocean uses color, waveform, and organic motion to visualize how whales communicate through sound—a lifeline for navigation, migration, foraging, and social bonding. A central feature is a red air gun survey simulation, generated using three layers of wavetable synthesis. This disturbing auditory element replicates the real-life seismic blasts used in underwater oil exploration—one of the most harmful anthropogenic noises in the ocean, capable of disrupting whale communication, causing disorientation, hearing loss, and even beach strandings. The visual language of the film is intentionally limited to monochromatic gradients and shades of gray, referencing the way cetaceans perceive light underwater. These sequences play with the perceptual threshold between light and shadow, reflecting how whales might visually map their soundscape. As the film progresses, each species is introduced through shifts in sonic and chromatic texture, with sound frequencies generating morphing shapes that embody the dynamics of echolocation in motion. By giving form to the soundscapes whales inhabit—and endure—Echoes From The Ocean challenges viewers to listen differently: to consider the violence of human-made noise as a form of ecological injustice, and to honor the sophisticated acoustic culture of these sentient beings whose survival depends on silence, depth, and resonance. Duration: 00:20:00 (twenty minutes)

Exhibition Opening:
June 8th, 2023
Counterforce Lab, Los Angeles, CA