The Stream VIII

In the man-made waterways of rice paddies, the water in nature must follow artificial rules. In that way, nature is made abstract, giving rise to a new form of beauty distinct from the natural state. The theme of this work is the liveliness of the water as it follows the man-made course.

This work is a ballet using the sound and the movement of the algae and water. With the waterway as the theater, I filmed the choreography of the algae that flows in the water.

In episode VIII of The Stream,I focus on the origin of the stream in the waterway at the rice field. The stream is produced by a man-made pump, which draws underground water to the surface and carries it to the rice field. The water in the rice field then drains through a huge drainage pump station that feeds into a large river.

When editing the recording, I retained only the frequency that sounds like a person’s voice. The resulting sound that the audience hears is like a chorus.