if everything in the universe is moving then why do we call it static?

                                           a modified transistor radio, forty-six billion light years and an unknown number of starlings.

                                        if radio stations had lines, i would tell you to read between them. there you will find the beginning of the universe.

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this piece has been produced as an international collaboration between the artist and new york based, award winning composer matt ‘gio’ giannotti. here is a 1960s roberts’ transistor radio. this radio has been expertly modified by gio to fulfill more than its original obligations. the radio invites you to hear the oldest light in the universe, also known as the cosmic microwave background or (CMB), which can be found within the static between the stations. 

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appearing among the radio waves in the gallery are the calls of various starlings, a small, star speckled songbird widely known for its ability to mimic car alarms and other birds. starlings clutter the radio waves with their mimicry. they whistle and squeak, click and create a melody, often producing the sound effects of machinery. listening to this bird is much like scrolling through the various signals of a radio when trying to land on a stable channel. human evolution occurred against a backdrop of avian music. here the mimicry of the birds is mixed in with the sound of the oldest light in the universe. The birds were here before you were.

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this piece (also known as roberta) featured in my solo show at custom house gallery and studios, in westport, county mayo, republic of ireland in 2021

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