Science & Art in Donegal: MARBH Chrois (dead zone), a new work by Softday

Ever wondered what’s really happening in the sea…. Softday have created a unique sound composition, using computer software programmes with data supplied from The Marine Institute of Ireland, Met Eireann and Aquafact Ltd. The sonifying and vocalising data related to Dead Zones will be played live in concert with the Donegal Youth Orchestra,(conductor Vincent Kennedy),the Softday Céilí. Band and St Catherine's Marching Band Killybegs.

Marbh Chrois was developed through the Lovely Weather Donegal Artists Residencies, a ground breaking art & science project which examined the issues of climate change in County Donegal, Ireland. In 2008, Virginia Institute of Marine Science Professor Robert Diaz showed that the number of “dead zones”—areas of seafloor with too little oxygen for most marine life—had increased by a third between 1995 and 2007. It is currently estimated that there are 20 such ‘dead zones’ in Ireland and two ‘contested dead zones’ were identified at both Killybeg’s Harbour (1999) and Donegal Bay (2000).

With a number of unique and purpose designed statistical algorithms and heuristics, Softday (visual artist Sean Taylor and Mikael Fernström) have translated the scientific/environmental data of the Dead Zones into abstract ‘live’ sound sonifications and vocalisations. On Saturday the 16th of October 2010, at 7pm, Softday will stage the world premiere of ‘Marbh Chrios (Dead Zone), a live performance of a unique multimedia sound art work, in Mooney’s Boat yard, Killybegs, County Donegal. The computer generated music composition that the Donegal Youth Orchestra, conductor Vincent Kennedy and the Softday Céilí. Band will perform, is constructed utilising eight years of related marine data.

Admission to the event is free,

please contact Ms. Terre Duffy at the Regional Culture Centre, Letterkenny for further information:

terre.duffy@donegalcoco.ie, mobile: 087 2508373

Further project information from: Softday at: www.softday.ie