Noise Aquarium

In a dark room a vast screen glows teal and star-flecked, and a pale plankton the size of a whale drifts across it, its body bristling with fine white hairs. A lone figure stands on a lit octagonal platform below, while a crowd sits on the floor in shadow, faces turned up to the light.
Two black ankle boots stand on a floor of electric blue light, scuffed and scratched, inside the bright outline of an octagon. Small white glyphs float on the glowing surface, one a curling squiggle, and a line of lights burns along the far edge.
Title
Noise Aquarium
Artist
Victoria Vesna
Collaborators
Alfred Vendl, Martina Fröschl, Glenn Bristol, Paul Geluso, Stephan Handschuh, Thomas Schwaha
Date
2017–2024
Description
Led by UCLA artist Victoria Vesna in collaboration with the Science Visualization Lab at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, this immersive art–science installation explores the effects of human activity on marine ecosystems. Drawing on 3D imaging of plankton and underwater sound recordings, the work transforms microscopic organisms into monumental forms while revealing the acoustic disturbances caused by ships, sonar, and offshore extraction. An interactive balance board allows visitors to influence the underwater environment through their movements, connecting physical balance to ecological vulnerability. First developed as a video in 2017, the project evolved into interactive 3D and virtual reality experiences and was presented at the 2019 SIGGRAPH Art Gallery in Los Angeles, among other international venues.
Artwork Type
Installation
VR / AR / Immersive
Materiality
Digital / Electronic Media
Audio / Sound
Climate & Ecology Themes
Oceans and Coasts
Biodiversity and Species Loss
Concepts
More-than-Human Relations
Ecological Domain / Habitat
Open Ocean
Methods & Approaches
Art and Science Collaboration
Audience / Engagement Type
Public / General Audience
Location
Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, California (SIGGRAPH 2019)
Geographic Scope
International / Global
Rights
Rights held by artist or creator
Website
noiseaquarium.com
Affiliated Organizations
UCLA Art|Sci Center
Publisher
UC Los Angeles, Department of Design Media Arts / Art|Sci Center
Discipline / Field
Arts & Design
Natural Sciences
Item sets
California Art & Climate Archive
UC Los Angeles
Media
In a dark room a vast screen glows teal and star-flecked, and a pale plankton the size of a whale drifts across it, its body bristling with fine white hairs. A lone figure stands on a lit octagonal platform below, while a crowd sits on the floor in shadow, faces turned up to the light.Victoria Vesna, Noise Aquarium 1
Two black ankle boots stand on a floor of electric blue light, scuffed and scratched, inside the bright outline of an octagon. Small white glyphs float on the glowing surface, one a curling squiggle, and a line of lights burns along the far edge.Victoria Vesna, Noise Aquarium 2