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Waves of Resonance: An artistic journey with LifeWatch Belgium’s ocean data

Waves of Resonance is a sound project by artist Elise Guillaume, initiated during the European Marine Board’s EMBracing the Ocean artist-in-residence programme under the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. She collaborated with Clea Parcerisas (LifeWatch Belgium) and Marine Severin (VLIZ) to explore the psychological impact of marine sounds. LifeWatch Belgium played a key role by providing unique underwater sound data from its observatory in the Belgian part of the North Sea.
Acoustic equipment being retrieved with VLIZ acoustic team, North Sea, 2024 © John Janssens & Elise Guillaume

Acoustic equipment being retrieved with VLIZ acoustic team, North Sea, 2024 © John Janssens & Elise Guillaume

The art project Waves of Resonance combines sounds ranging from singing whales and cracking sea ice to ship engines and pile-driving into a multi-layered sound installation. By including sounds normally inaudible to the human ear, the work aims to strengthen our emotional connection to the ocean and inspire pro-environmental action.

Clea Parcerisas, acoustic ecologist at LifeWatch VLIZ, contributed recordings collected via the LifeWatch Belgium broadband acoustic sensor network. These data revealed the rich underwater soundscapes – from fish and crustaceans to dolphins and seabirds – as well as the impact of human activities. 

VLIZ acoustic team retrieving and deploying acoustic equipment, North Sea, 2024 © John Janssens & Elise Guillaume

VLIZ acoustic team retrieving and deploying acoustic equipment, North Sea, 2024 © John Janssens & Elise Guillaume

The project grew from research into the psychological effects of listening to marine sounds, in collaboration with environmental psychologist Marine Severin and partners including VLIZ, the Royal College of Art, and La Chapelle Jeanne d’Arc. The current iteration can be experienced as a five-channel surround installation in the crypt of La Chapelle Jeanne d’Arc (until 21 September 2025) as part of Par le corps, a solo exhibition by Elise Guillaume.

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