sound sculpture
nut shells, nylon string, wood, electronics, video
2026
seed chime for longshore drift explores longshore drift—the process by which the tide moves sand along a shoreline, gradually reshaping coastlines as the sand is eroded. Although longshore drift is natural, coastal communities worldwide often try to manage it to protect their beaches. Common interventions include rigid barriers that interrupt sand movement and heavy machinery that deposits new sand and disrupts local ecosystems through noise.
Biomimicry—design inspired by natural systems—offers an alternative approach. A well-known example is Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train, whose nose was modeled after a kingfisher’s beak to allow the train to move more quietly at high speeds. Using the practice of biomimicry, I propose a gentler method for influencing longshore drift by utilizing the mechanics of quaking aspen leaves.
The aspen is commonly referred to as the “quaking aspen” because of the way the leaves twist in the wind. Depending on the angle of deflection, the leaf can act as a brick wall or an airfoil. I imagine a coastal intervention that moves in a similar way: a mechanism of flexible, leaf-like elements whose deflection could be adjusted to control how strongly the structure slows or redirects water and sediment transport. Rather than fully blocking sand movement, the system would allow sand to pass in a controlled way—supporting a more gradual, responsive shaping of the shoreline over time.
I created a sound sculpture that evokes the energy of the proposed mechanism. The work consists of 900 strands of hand-strung nut shells forming two parallel walls, each 14 feet long and 8 feet tall, creating a hallway that leads to a floating screen. Viewers are invited to walk through the passageway toward the screen. At intermittent moments, the screen activates, and robotic arms pluck the hanging strands, causing the shells to make contact in a cascading rhythm reminiscent of moving water. The accompanying video layers footage of aspen leaves fluttering with coastal imagery using a frame buffer; the scenes blend and slowly distort over time, similar to how the structure would gently introduce drag into the water, encouraging the viewer to stay present as the visuals shift and the seed chime sings.