Hydromancy

Matterlurgy

16 October 2021

Film

Single-channel 4K film with sound, 14′. Spanish subtitles Co-commissioned by the John Hansard Gallery (Southampton) and Onassis Stegi for “Weather Engines” (2022)

The earth’s oceans form an important part of the planet’s weather engines.

Hydromancy reveals the spaces, tools and technologies involved in the science of ocean sensing. Filmed on location at the National Oceanography Centre (NOCS), UK, we visit a coral laboratory bathed in blue light; an engineering workshop where autonomous vehicles are equipped with sensors to measure ocean currents, temperature and chemical composition; a lab space with cultured algae and phytoplankton. In the film is the Hydromancer, an expression between voice and atmosphere that questions ways of knowing.

Data Dialogues consists of an image showing data collected by an autonomous underwater vehicle that was processed by scientist Dr. Filipa Carvalho (NOCS). The attached transcript places a conversation between Matterlurgy and Dr. Carvalho as they discuss the image and how visualisations are made.