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Project Iridium (Video)

Aug 14, 2017
Victoria Keddie

During her 10 day residency at Wave Farm, Victoria Keddie conducted nightly sessions tracking Iridium and Cosmos satellites in orbit, as well as debris from the 2009 collision that occurred in LEO between Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251 satellites (debris flares are mapped in this video).

Keddie's video shows four sessions at 4 directional coordinates (NSEW) using satellite tracking software. The soundtrack is composed of notes that signal the tracking of each Iridium or Cosmos satellite that comes into "frame" of night sky. Additional sound is from the processing of signal through LFO and oscillation as well as the hum and mechanical motion of the mobile ENG van studio that was used to record these sessions in an open field.

This footage, approximately 40 min duration, come from longer nightly sessions. The footage was recorded via DVcam and played back and filmed through a series of CRT monitors housed in the van. The resulting deterioration of readable text enables a look at pattern formations from individual sessions and as a whole in dialogue with each other. In this case, a mouse cursor can be seen clicking on points of screen. At moments, a visible orbital track can be seen following a highlighted satellite.

With this work, the viewer can actively or passively engage, tuning in at moments as one would look up to watch the sky. In this case however, one sees a remarkably cluttered sky in motion, otherwise more or less hidden to the human eye.

More Victoria Keddie on Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/gedanken/videos