Atmospheric Pressure
Year: 2026
Type: dataset
Abstract: Research Background Atmospheric Pressure investigates Antarctic weather through sound art, field recording and experimental performance. Samartzis undertook the fieldwork as an Australian Antarctic Division Arts Fellow, recording a prolonged blizzard at Casey Research Station in February 2016. As visibility collapsed and movement became impossible, pressure, vibration and sound dominated the encounter. The research asks how recordings of these forces can be reinterpreted through instrumental performance to extend understanding of the Antarctic environment. Research Significance Samartzis combines Antarctic field recordings, electronics and microphones with Michael Vorfeld's percussion and stringed instruments to explore relationships between environmental force and performed gesture. Recorded wind and vibration shape an improvised exchange in which instrumental responses explore resonance, texture and duration. The work extends environmental sound art by examining atmosphere as a material force that shapes both recording and performance. It develops an acoustic interpretation of extreme weather through the interaction of environmental recordings and the physical behaviour of instruments. Research Contribution The work was presented at The Capitol, Melbourne, on 27 February 2026 as part of RMIT's Creative Antarctica public program, supported by City of Melbourne and RMIT Galleries. Its three-part recording was released by Room40, extending the project's reach through international distribution. Independent critical coverage in A Closer Listen provides evidence of international reception. The work connects Antarctic field research with audiences through public performance and recorded publication.
Authors: Philip Samartzis, Michael Vorfeld
Institution: RMIT University
Language: English
Topic: Sound Studies and Aurality
Subfield: Cultural Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7220942455