H20ffgrid: Pluvio Collector
Exhibited:
2024-25, solo exhibition, GO25! xcCenter gallery, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
Visitors are invited to pour water into the reservoir, replacing the rainwater that would otherwise have been collected on the roof of the xMobil*, and wait for it to be purified. During the filtration process, the flowing water creates an algorithmically generated soundscape. The device is not only an ecologically and technologically advanced solution for purifying rainwater or other natural water sources but also a symbolic system and an aesthetic object. In addition to purifying rainwater and water from streams, rivers, or lakes, H20ffgrid: Pluvio Collector invites visitors to a pagan-futuristic ritual that evokes hope for broad and sustainable access to potable water. In many cultures, water has long been associated with purification both physically and spiritually. The device is part of a series of works by Miha Godec, which explores purification and water-filtering processes as well as randomness in the organic and physical world. In his works, the flow of purified water serves as a data source for generating sound, revealing subtle signals from nature and their connection to the physical laws of the world.
The sound created during the water purification process aims to contribute to the “cleansing” of the visitor’s sensorium while opening a space for reflection on the paradoxes of modern water supply. These paradoxes arise from both technological and ecological principles of what was once a natural process but has now become increasingly mediated by technology. Perhaps only an artistic research approach is uniquely capable of reconciling these paradoxes, integrating art, science, and technology into an equal dialogue. This system employs a two-phase filtration process: a ceramic filter*** ensures mechanical filtration, while ultraviolet light provides biological filtration. The installation uses the Pure Data (PD) software environment to create a generative soundscape. This soundscape is based on the random dripping of water onto sensors, which act as organic algorithmic triggers for sound sequences.
*xMobil is an art-science laboratory housed in a car trailer equipped with solar-powered electricity. It is part of the official program of GO! 2025 European Capital of Culture Nova Gorica – Gorizia.
www.instagram.com/xmobil25/ @xmobil25
** The series of art-research works by Miha Godec that led to the water filter presented here has been ongoing since 2017: Palingeneza, Palingeneza 2.0, Condsesn, Dstill.
*** Special thanks to the design collective Pjorkkala (Žan Girandon, Pia Groleger, Luka Pleskovič) for developing and designing the ceramic component of the filter specifically for this project.
Year: 2024
Author: Miha Godec
Curator: Peter Purg, xMobil (2022–25)
Production: xCenter, Mojca Stubelj Ars (2024)
Co-production: Artevida Institute
Ceramic water filter artists: Pjorkkala
Technical support and production: Dmitry Morozov, Roman B.
