Sulphur

"Utsmykking" Hesseng Vidregående school, Kirkenes, 2002

The starting point for this work is that Kirkenes is close to the Russian border and is therefore fallout zone of sulphur from the Russian nickel plant in Nickel just over the border. Some miles from the city is a site continuously measuring the content of sulphur in the air. From "NINA", who owns the data, I got access to a live data feed where I could get the exact data on sulfur content every ten seconds.

The decoration is placed in the corridor / hall areas. It consists of hidden speakers in the ceiling and an computer hidden in an adjacent room. So only sound is evident to the viewer.

The audience will hear the sound of wind blowing through the aspen trees. Aspen has a clear distinctive sound when the leaves are moving. When the sulphur content is low you hear a faint risling in the leaves in the corridors. Increasing sulphur deposits will amplify the sound, and at high levels the sound gets closer to the sound of a Geiger counter. However, if the sulphur content approaches zero, it will be silent in the hallways.

The most optimal would therefore be that there is no sound, silence indicates that contamination has disappeared.