“aeriology”, is a large scale, site specific, detuned custom built antenna that resonates to the range of radio frequencies related to its length, dimensions, and physical qualities. Like a classic electrical transformer, “aeriology” transforms electrical and electromagnetic activity in the room and the surrounding atmosphere into electrical activity in the wire. This activity can be translated into sound or image or can be thought about as an alternative power source, gathering energy out of the air. A kind of aerial capacitor that stores enough energy to amplify the signal it resonates to.

Made from copper magnet wire, “aeriology” is hand wound onto architectural features of the gallery such as internal columns or pillars, the total length and dimensions are determined by the space but “aeriology “has generally been around 15 – 20 kilometres in length. This length means that the antenna will resonate to the VLF (very low frequency) section of the radio spectrum, the part that corresponds to the audio frequency range. This allows the antenna to be plugged directly into the audio inputs of a sound system to reveal the live electromagnetic soundscape of the building, so that at one level we hear the ceaseless hum of the modern world, the energy surging through the cables and wires of the building and we also are able to hear the crackle of spherics from the solar winds as they interact with the ionosphere and the background noise of the Milky Way, the energy emitted from stars.

“aeriology” was exhibited in: 1995 – Artspace Auckland New Zealand, 1997 – Artspace Sydney Australia, 1998 – V2,The Institute for unstable Media, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2001 – 7th Istanbul Biennial, Yerebetan Cistern, Istanbul Turkey, 2008 – AV festival, Reg Vardy Gallery, Sunderland, England.

A version of “aeriology” was included in the work” Electromagnetique composition for building plants and stars” a collaboration with David Haines and was exhibited in 2006 – Re: Search – Sendai Mediatheque 6f gallery, Sendai Japan, 2008 – Breenspace Sydney Australia, 2009 - Royal institute of Australia, Science Exchange, Adelaide Australia