Water Balance is a pond dwelling kinetic sound sculpture activated by balancing bodies of water. Flowing water pours into six vessels until they overbalance, tip and empty into the pond activating gongs to form a resonating, generative composition. Each vessel is a different size, and each gong a different pitch, creating an evolving composition from gradually phasing patterns over long time periods which overlap in different combinations as conditions change and may never repeat. The warning sounds of the gongs sounding as water spills acts as a metaphor for the crucial role water levels play in balancing the ecosystem of peat bog. Blanket bog needs waterlogged conditions to thrive and acts as an important and valuable carbon sink.

Water Balance was commissioned by Cryptic for “Below the Blanket“, a dusk time meditative walk through the Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh inspired by The Flow Country, one of Scotland’s most important landscapes. The Flow Country is home to the best example of blanket bog in Northern Europe.

Below the Blanket premiered at Edinburgh Fringe Festival at Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh during August 2019. Produced by Cryptic as part of the “Flows to the Future” project raising awareness of the important of the Flow Country in partnership with RSPB Scotland. Water Balance was developed at 101 Outdoor Arts in 2019. Welding by Francisco Galliano Abad and Kathy Hinde.

Here is a short video of Water Balance followed by some photos.