A shot from the art installation “Submerged Turntables”
In an art installation in 2013 for SFMOMA, artist Evan Holm pulled off what most reasonable people would think impossible - getting a turntable to play a record while underwater.
To create “Submerged Turntables,” Holm used various artifacts in his installation that he found in nature like a large piece dead tree that loomed over the black pool of water the turntable was immersed in. This was to reinforce sadness in his message of decay and loss by the hands of our fellow humans (or a source unseen perhaps) when it comes to how we expertly and collectively destroy the world on a daily basis. Not only does the record miraculously spin, but you can also hear the recording - despite the fact that it’s revolving in some sort of dystopian bathtub. Here’s Holm backing that last bit up:
There will be a time when all tracings of human culture will dissolve back into the soil under the slow crush of the unfolding universe,” says Holm. “The pool, black and depthless, represents loss, represents mystery and represents the collective subconscious of the human race. By placing these records underneath the dark and obscure surface of the pool, I am enacting a small moment of remorse towards this loss.
In addition to hearing Donna Summer’s 1975 hit “Love to Love You Baby” playing away in the video embedded after the jump, I also included a short video of Holm (who might be some sort of awesome modern witch), setting up the installation and performing it in front of a crowd at the museum. Any true audiophile worth their wax will appreciate the trippy scenes that follow.
Continues after the jump…
