LO 07

Title: Herald/Harbinger
Artists: Jer Thorpe & Ben Rubin

In the heart of Calgary, Alberta, an installation piece titled “Herald/Harbinger” brings to life the motion of Bow Glacier, demonstrating the connection between human activity and that of the melting glacier. A series of LED arrays installed at the entrance of a building use colored light to indicate real-time movements in the glacier; meanwhile, several speakers project the glacier’s subtle noises into the traffic-filled area. The lights and speakers are connected to the glacier via a seismic observatory and relayed via satellite, then put through an algorithm to visualize the data collected for display. Thousands of passersby feel the glacier’s presence every day, a reflection of how the glacier is an integral part of the city’s water source and history. However, the installation has a shelf life; it is a reminder that this glacier is melting, and there will be one day where the city sounds no longer duet those of Bow Glacier.