Roslyn Oades

THE ENORMOUS RADIO (IN DEVELOPMENT)

Ever wondered what the animals around us are saying? With the weight of human-made climate grief on our shoulders it’s no wonder we’re irresistibly drawn to the possibility of understanding other life-forms. The Enormous Radio asks, what if we could tune into the non-human, the endangered and the wild for guidance on the greatest moral and ethical issue of our times?

The Enormous Radio draws on machine learning, movement detectors, voice enhancers and translation software in an attempt to decode unanticipated interspecies communications. This theatrical audio installation invites audiences to experience a playful real-time encounter with a chorus of sentient radios. A séance of machine-mediums that can receive uncanny messages from the animal world… The work operates as a 360-degree audio-hive, featuring a ramshackle circle of haunted radios with glowing panels and animated aerials, as well as an unseen surround-speaker system beyond the circle – allowing the audio-world to dramatically expand and contract. The work is suited to a gallery space, black-box studio or evocative found site. The audience experience takes the form of a crafted 15-minute ‘interactive encounter’ for up to 12 participants per cycle and is suitable to audiences from a diverse range of ages. Guests can experience the work from either inside the circle of radios, for a live interactive encounter, or from outside the circle, if they prefer to witness.

As acoustic ecologists harness the power of digital technologies and machine learning to bring us ever closer to the possibility of ‘speaking with animals’, the work offers a delightful peak through this portal, as well as asking us to ponder the human impact of this new frontier of interspecies communication.

As part of FRAME Lab 2024, a 6 month program supporting innovative documentary concepts, we built and tested a proof-of-concept prototype. We will develop the work further at a Bundanon Residency in Feb 2025 . Essential to our forward planning is a desire to connect with presentation and funding partners interested in unique interactive audience experiences, machine-learning and climate-responsive themes. Please contact Roslyn Oades to learn more.

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Lead artist: Roslyn Oades
Sound artist: Bob Scott
Dramaturge: Sarah Walker
Creative technologist: Bob Jarvis, Zeal.co
Documentation: Sarah Walker
Project mentor: Helgard Haug (Rimini Protokoll)

PRoject ENQUIRIES

Please direct initial enquiries to Roslyn Oades>>

PROTOTYPE SHOWCASE

2024: FRAME Documentary Showcase at MIFF, 22 Aug, ACMI, MELBOURNE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Developed with the assistance of FRAME DOCUMENTARY & VicScreen in 2024, and Bundanon Artist Residency in 2025