Ebb & Flow

Ebb & Flow was a site-specific sound installation for Grótta Lighthouse in Reykjavík, Iceland. The island where the lighthouse is situated is accessible from the mainland for a few hours during low tide every day. The piece was exhibited in August 2022 as part of UNM Iceland Festival.

When walking inside the lighthouse, there is a dense fog that covers the whole space, making it difficult to see. Yellow tube lights and natural light from the small windows are diffused to the fog. There is multichannel sound system installed in the lighthouse with layered breathing sounds. The sounds move in the space and reverberate in the acoustically unique environment. The layers of breathing are calm and slow in the lower floors of the lighthouse, sounding almost like gentle waves. The higher one goes inside the light house the more intense the sounds get, to the point of exhaustion and hyperventilation in the top floor.