ANDY WEBSTER


PLAYING D.E.A.D.

PLAYING D.E.A.D. [2024]

Materials: 14 Salvaged Horns, Compression Drivers, Plantwave Devices, Guitar pedals, Tree leaves [dimensions 10m x 2m x 2m]

Playing D.E.A.D. is a temporary sound installation that uses four biodata devices tuned to the notes D, E, A, and D to convert plant electrical activity into distorted audio. Inspired by Bruce Nauman's Violin Tuned D.E.A.D. (1969), the work transforms the plants' biological signals into harsh, discordant drones using guitar and 'Death Metal' pedals, creating an ironic meditation on death using living organisms.

The project was developed with the support of Peter Kees for the project War Aspects, Bavaria, Germany [2024].

Listen to a field recording of the work in Ebersberger Forest: