When Earth Speaks is a series of durational and relational drawing performances made during 2023-2024 in which Miranda Whall translates raw data from various sources. In June 2024 the series will culminate in a live improvisational performance titled When Earth Speaks; A Dirty Ensemble that will take place at the Theatr Y Werin, Arts Centre Aberystwyth in West Wales.
In When Earth Speaks Miranda represents the high-resolution soil sensor technology data beyond traditional statistics, so that the data might have a wider meaning and greater impact. During the performances, Miranda is drawing and reciting a continuous stream of raw ‘dirty’ data emitted from an agri-sensor network installed in the Cambrian Mountains in West Wales. The 12 agri-sensors register and record the fluctuations in soil temperature and soil moisture every 15 minutes.
Miranda’s drawing performances aim to translate and communicate the data to animate and inanimate audiences, on the basis that both human and non-humans have a common and vested interest in the condition of the earth. The drawings, which are surface accumulations of thousands of pen written numbers gathered over time, become textured and opaque as the numbers settle on the paper, much like all of the mineral particles, organic materials, air, water and living organisms are compacted over time into earth.
The earth doesn’t speak, so this ground-breaking technology enables scientists, land managers, investors, and stakeholders to listen to what the earth is telling them and how it needs to be managed and protected to sustain human, animal, vegetal, fungal and bacterial livelihoods as we move into more extreme and unpredictable weather conditions. Miranda’s rendering of the high – resolution soil sensor data beyond traditional statistics, aims to offer a wider meaning and greater impact to soil science by offering new perspectives on the scientific research.
Various iterations of When Earth Speaks have been presented in Aberystwyth Arts Centre (When Earth Speaks to Humans); Botany House, Aberystwyth University (When Earth Speaks to Plants and AI); Aberystwyth Arts Centre as part of Aberetwm Arts Festival (When Earth Speaks to Harp).
When Earth Speaks was initially funded by the National Environmental Research Council (NERC) as part of the X Disciplinary Hopping Research Project Planetary Multispecies Politics in Action, led by Professor Milja Kurki, Aberystwyth University.
Miranda Whall developed her side of the wider project as part of LADA’s programme Live Art in Rural UK.
Miranda Whall installing the agri-sensor network in August 2022
Miranda Whall performing 'When Earth Speaks to Plants and AI' at the Botany House. Image credit Mike Varney