Meara Withe

Conduit Reverie is a soundscape and animation made in response to the dynamic flows of water at Nine Elms Riverside Walk, being exhibited at Wandsworth Arts Fringe Festival, June 2024. Capturing the sounds of the river Thames and locally found water sources, such as a roadside tap and a cyclist wading through a puddle, the piece is an exploration of the intricate sounds of water recorded using a hydrophone and interwoven with environmental field recordings that merge the natural and urban environments.

Conduit Reverie exposes a rich tapestry of sonic textures, encompassing the lapping of waves against the riverbank that eventually converged into the sea, and the hydrophone recordings reveal the hidden world beneath the water's surface, capturing the gurgles and rhythmic pulse of the Thames.

The animation features a 3D photogrammetric scan of an oxidised copper planter, a notable feature along the riverside walk. This planter, with its weathered turquoise patina, serves as a symbol of the interaction between nature and human-made structures. The animation slowly shifts and rotates, mirroring the fluidity of water and the passage of time.

As the soundscape unfolds, the audience is drawn into a meditative state, focusing on the sounds and visuals that summon a sense of reverie, where the boundaries between the physical and the ephemeral blur. Conduit Reverie is an invitation to experience the connections between water, sound, and place, offering a moment of reflection on the ever-changing currents that shape our environments and the hidden symphonies that lie beneath the surface of everyday life.