About
The Coral Sonata: Sounds of Climate Change
$21,080
205
The Coral Sonata is a new musical score by artist Caecilia Tripp produced through state-of-the-art, dynamic underwater recordings of coral ecologies suffering under climate change in South Florida’s Biscayne Bay. During a one-month program in spring 2019 with the Miami-based ARTSail Research & Residency Initiative, Tripp will capture original audio across bleached coral reefs, colonized reefs, and healthy corals to investigate and document regional impacts of manmade global warming. The artist is partnering with nonprofit organization Rescue a Reef and the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science to gain further understanding of the adaptive response of reef corals to climate change and ocean acidification.
Once recorded, these aquatic sounds will be mixed, remixed, and arranged into stunning soundscapes that hint at our fluid future. In collaboration with Paris-based musician and sound architect Kerwin Rolland, Tripp will release an otherworldly chorus of coral breathing in loops, suggesting infinite space, whispering future lost histories of a 21st century South Florida submerged underwater. The Coral Sonata will ultimately take form as an immersive film installation incorporating archival time-lapse footage of multiple reef populations scored hypnotically by Tripp and Rolland’s soundscapes. It will be part scientific survey and part art exhibition—a social and climate justice advocacy project that invites the local Miami population to confront the impact of global warming on their communities.
Florida is the most susceptible region to the effects of global warming in the United States. Despite this fact, many state government officials are hostile to climate science, endangering their millions of constituents who live in the third-most-populated state in the country. Please read our FAQs for more detailed information about climate change in our state.
Florida has also recently slashed its cultural financial resources, reducing the general program support budget of the Division of Cultural Affairs, Department of State by 94%. This has dropped Florida to a ranking of 48th in state funding for the arts. ARTSail, by bringing together climate scientists and contemporary artists, is committed to producing generative responses that advocate for climate literacy and that recognize the value of cultural production in and around Miami.
Miami itself has become an unwilling incubator for the effects of climate change in the United States. Whether you live in South Florida, New England, the Gulf Coast, or the Pacific Northwest, climate change is very real and is happening right now. Initiatives like ARTSail bring together the disciplines of science and art, connecting the creative and practical thinkers who can imagine solutions for a more livable tomorrow.
Caecilia Tripp lives and works between Paris and New York City. Her practice includes film, photography, sound, and performance. Often, Tripp’s pieces reference cinematic codes like “reenactments” or “rehearsals,” grounded in collaborative practice. She is engaged in forms of freedom, utopia, and civil disobedience at the crossroads of globalization. Tripp describes her work as a transformative process of togetherness in “making history" through dialogic imagination. Her work has been presented in numerous exhibitions, museums, and biennials across the world at venues including MoMA PS1 (New York), Center for Contemporary Art (New Orleans), De Appel (Amsterdam), Museum of Modern Art (Paris), Brooklyn Museum (New York), Clark House Initiative (Mumbai), Dakar Biennial (Senegal), and has been selected as part of the upcoming Sharjah Biennial in 2019.
ARTSail is a nomadic, floating residency and research program aboard a variety of vessels for creative and climate change inquiry. It pairs artists with scientific practitioners, facilitating interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary practices to address the climate change crisis specific to South Florida. Residents are invited to create new works that investigate sea level rise, coral bleaching and restoration, and increasing salinity in the Everglades. Previous residents include Mark Lee Koven, Blanca de la Torre, and Simon Faithfull, each of whom completed month-long, project-based residencies. This interdisciplinary engagement facilitates advocacy for public policy by leveraging the masterful capacity of artists to communicate nuanced perspectives in novel ways to broad audiences.
In addition to the artists that are juried into the nomadic residency, ARTSail collaborates with numerous individuals, initiatives, and organizations: The University of Miami Rosentiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science welcomes the artists to engage directly with climate scientists and their cutting edge projects to protect and restore fragile and vulnerable ecologies. Rescue a Reef is the University of Miami's citizen science project designed to support coral reef research and restoration activities to recover depleted coral populations of South Florida. The Impossible Dream is a universally-accessible, 60-foot sailing catamaran that has provided in-kind support to ARTSail for exploring South Florida’s waterways.
Your pledges will directly support the creation of The Coral Sonata by offsetting project costs for this ambitious undertaking. The goal of $20,000 represents a significant portion of the total cost for research, residency documentation, audio production, honoraria, post-production, cinematography, regional travel aboard the various vessels, accommodations, fees, and project management. The Coral Sonata presents a unique opportunity for the public to pledge support and advocacy for furthering both climate science research and cultural production, two disciplines that are facing dwindling federal and state support across the United States.
We’re confident that ARTSail and the Kickstarter Arts community have a lot of shared values. ARTSail originated in 2015 thanks to a Knight Arts Challenge grant to the ArtCenter/South Florida. Now that we’re operating independently, we’re reaching out to the people that we know understand the lasting value of scientific inquiry and artistic cultural production. Because our state’s art funding has been slashed, and because the climate science community has come under attack by state and federal governments, we are taking the initiative to ensure that our important work can continue. That’s where you come in! Help ARTSail to continue to be a leader in linking together artists and scientists to address one of the most pressing issues facing our species: climate change.
$10 - Custom Ringtone from The Coral Sonata
The sounds of South Florida's underwater world will come to life through your phone courtesy of an audio sample from The Coral Sonata. Which of your contacts who support climate science and contemporary art will you assign a custom coral ringtone? Keep climate change a part of your everyday conversations.
$25 - ARTSail Waterproof Touch-Through Phone Pouch
Constructed of flexible, durable, PVC-free TPU (Thermoplastic polyurethane is any of a class of polyurethane plastics with many properties, including elasticity, transparency, and resistance to oil, grease and abrasion); clear window to operate phone while encased in waterproof pouch; includes 30” lanyard and Velcro strap to attach to boat, bike handlebars, clothing, and other spots that avail maximum ease. Size: 4 ½ x 8 ½ x ½”
$25 - ARTSail Waterproof 10-Liter Gear Bag
Constructed from 210T (thread count) polyester grid cloth; roll-down top and snap buckle design ensures contents remain dry; carabiner clip included. After the completion of the campaign, backers at this level will receive a rewards survey where they will identify their color choice of either black, blue, or red. Size: 12 ¾ x 18 ½ x 5/8”
$45 - ARTSail Waterproof Combo Pack with Free US Shipping
Get both the ARTSail Waterproof Touch-Through Phone Pouch and the ARTSail Waterproof 10-Liter Gear Bag for only $45, plus free shipping to anywhere within the United States. After the completion of the campaign, backers at this level will receive a rewards survey where they will identify their color choice of either black, blue, or red. Shipping is free to any physical address within the United States. Outside of the US, shipping charges apply.
$75 - Exclusive Digital Download of The Coral Sonata Sound Compositions
Listen to the sounds of South Florida's waterways in the highest possible quality. At this level, you'll receive an exclusive, password-protected link to download The Coral Sonata by Caecilia Tripp in collaboration with Kerwin Rolland in full. This "album" will not be made available to the general public.
$150 - Giclée Print of Grands and Petits Voyages (1594), First Latin Edition, Third Issue by Theodore De Bry
This is the earliest copper-engraved general map of the Caribbean and one of the visually most charming ever made of the region by Theodore De Bry from Grands and Petits Voyages (1594) First Latin Edition, third issue. In 1590, the engraver Theodore de Bry started a publication of his series of "Grand Voyages," a visual and textual summary of the most important voyages during the age of discovery made in the preceding century. A rare and precious holiday gift for the fan of cartography.
12x16” giclée print, archival ink on acid-free 310 gsm watercolor grade paper. Unframed.
$200 - Producer Credits on The Coral Sonata Mini-Documentary
Producer credits for mini-documentary on artist Caecilia Tripp, recorded during The Coral Sonata project. Plus full digital download of The Coral Sonata compositions. See example above with mini-documentary on previous ARTSail artist-in-residence Simon Faithfull, as featured in this episode of Art Loft. PLUS: personalized producer thank you email from artist Caecilia Tripp recapping her experience of capturing the sounds of The Coral Sonata aboard numerous water vessels. This correspondence will include photos and videos from the artist not available to the general public.
$250 - *NEW* Signed, Limited Edition "Water Quality" Print by Pulitzer Prize-Winning Artist Jim Morin
To show his support for The Coral Sonata and continue his advocacy for climate science across the United States, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Jim Morin has agreed to release an exclusive, extremely-limited edition of 10 signed and numbered color prints. You won't find these available anywhere else! This edition is "Water Quality," from 08/22/2018.
12x17” giclée print, archival ink on acid-free 310 gsm watercolor grade paper, numbered and signed by the artist, edition of 10. Unframed.
$250 - *NEW* Signed, Limited Edition "Red Tide" Print by Pulitzer Prize-Winning Artist Jim Morin
To show his support for The Coral Sonata and continue his advocacy for climate science across the United States, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Jim Morin has agreed to release an exclusive, extremely-limited edition of 10 signed and numbered color prints. You won't find these available anywhere else! This edition is "Red Tide," from 08/29/2018.
12x17” giclée print, archival ink on acid-free 310 gsm watercolor grade paper, numbered and signed by the artist, edition of 10. Unframed.
$250 - Signed, Limited Edition "Pruitt Resigns" Print by Pulitzer Prize-Winning Artist Jim Morin
To show his support for The Coral Sonata and continue his advocacy for climate science across the United States, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Jim Morin has agreed to release an exclusive, extremely-limited edition of 10 signed and numbered color prints. You won't find these available anywhere else! This edition is "Pruitt Resigns," from 07/09/2018.
12x17” giclée print, archival ink on acid-free 310 gsm watercolor grade paper, numbered and signed by the artist, edition of 10. Unframed.
$250 - Signed, Limited Edition "Global Warming / Seal Level" Print by Pulitzer Prize-Winning Artist Jim Morin
To show his support for The Coral Sonata and continue his advocacy for climate science across the United States, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Jim Morin has agreed to release an exclusive, extremely-limited edition of 10 signed and numbered color prints. You won't find these available anywhere else! This edition is "Global Warming / Sea Level," from 05/06/2018.
12x17” giclée print, archival ink on acid-free 310 gsm watercolor grade paper, numbered and signed by the artist, edition of 10. Unframed.
$500 - Curator-Led South Florida Studio Visit Tour
Enjoy a curator-led tour of two contemporary Miami artists' studios in Little Havana—plus a private lunch—with ARTSail Founder and Executive Director, Ombretta Agrò Andruff. This experience includes an invitation to bring along one guest of your choosing.
$750 - Dinner with Caecilia Tripp at Miami's Café Roval
An evening for two with the artist, Caecilia Tripp, at Café Roval—an historic coral pump house in Miami’s Upper East Side. The building’s original coral rock walls from the 1930s are paired with oil paintings, chandeliers, gilded mirrors, polished concrete floors and exposed rafters that convey the city’s unique eclecticism. Locals flock here to enjoy inventive seasonal fare with Mediterranean and Latin influences.
This experience includes an invitation to bring along one guest of your choosing.
$750 - Dinner with Caecilia Tripp at New York City's Malaparte
An evening for two with the artist, Caecilia Tripp, at Malaparte. Located on the quaint corner of Washington and Bethune Streets, Malaparte serves authentic Italian fare in a serene open air environment. The atmosphere in this breezy, bustling restaurant is evocative of old school romance with candlelit outdoor tables, brick walls, and warm dark woods that serve as the perfect backdrop to enjoy a glass of wine paired with exceptional selections of fresh pasta and pizzas. This experience includes an invitation to bring along one guest of your choosing.
$1000 - ORIGINAL "Global Warming / Sea Level" Drawing by Pulitzer Prize-Winning Artist Jim Morin
Looking for something more exclusive? Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Jim Morin has graciously offered up a couple of his original drawings in support of The Coral Sonata. In these works, you can see the artist’s process: pencil marks, bold India ink strokes, smudges from the artist's hands, white-out, and collaged paper demonstrate Jim's mastery of drawing media. "Global Warming / Sea Level" presents a rare opportunity to collect the work of one of our most celebrated political satirists during one of the most unprecedented political times in the American experience.
12x17" original drawing: graphite, India ink, White-out, tape, and collaged paper on 100lb, 270 gsm, acid-free paper, unique. Unframed.
$1000 - ORIGINAL "Water Quality" Drawing by Pulitzer Prize-Winning Artist Jim Morin
Looking for something more exclusive? Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Jim Morin has graciously offered up a couple of his original drawings in support of The Coral Sonata. In these works, you can see the artist’s process: pencil marks, bold India ink strokes, smudges from the artist's hands, white-out, and collaged paper demonstrate Jim's mastery of drawing media. "Water Quality" presents a rare opportunity to collect the work of one of our most celebrated political satirists during one of the most unprecedented political times in the American experience.
12x17" original drawing: graphite, India ink, White-out, tape, and collaged paper on 100lb, 270 gsm, acid-free paper, unique. Unframed.
$1000 - ORIGINAL "Red Tide" Drawing by Pulitzer Prize-Winning Artist Jim Morin
Looking for something more exclusive? Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Jim Morin has graciously offered up a couple of his original drawings in support of The Coral Sonata. In these works, you can see the artist’s process: pencil marks, bold India ink strokes, smudges from the artist's hands, white-out, and collaged paper demonstrate Jim's mastery of drawing media. "Red Tide" presents a rare opportunity to collect the work of one of our most celebrated political satirists during one of the most unprecedented political times in the American experience.
12x17" original drawing: graphite, India ink, White-out, tape, and collaged paper on 100lb, 270 gsm, acid-free paper, unique. Unframed.
$1000 - ORIGINAL "Pruitt Resigns" Drawing by Pulitzer Prize-Winning Artist Jim Morin
Looking for something more exclusive? Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Jim Morin has graciously offered up a couple of his original drawings in support of The Coral Sonata. In these works, you can see the artist’s process: pencil marks, bold India ink strokes, smudges from the artist's hands, white-out, and collaged paper demonstrate Jim's mastery of drawing media. "Pruitt Resigns" presents a rare opportunity to collect the work of one of our most celebrated political satirists during one of the most unprecedented political times in the American experience.
12x17" original drawing: graphite, India ink, White-out, tape, and collaged paper on 100lb, 270 gsm, acid-free paper, unique. Unframed.
$1000 - Two-Day, Curator-Led South Florida Contemporary Art Tour
Enjoy a personalized two-day contemporary art tour in Miami and the Palm beaches led by ARTSail Founder, Ombretta Agrò Andruff. Day 1 is a studio tour in Miami of three prominent artists concluding with Happy Hour in the Magic City. Day 2 begins with an intimate viewing of Beth Rudin DeWoody’s Bunker Art Space followed by lunch at The Avocado Grill in West Palm Beach. The afternoon will be spent at the newly reopened and expanded Norton Museum.
$1500 - Biscayne Bay Champagne Cruise for Six on The Impossible Dream
Sunset champagne cruise for you and five guests aboard the 60-foot catamaran The Impossible Dream, traveling to Stiltsville on Biscayne Bay. The Impossible Dream is a unique, universally-accessible ship that has been used in three previous ARTSail resident projects. Specific dates will be determined between the backer and ARTSail upon completion of The Coral Sonata Kickstarter campaign.
$2000 - Two-Day Curator-Led Tuscany Contemporary Art Tour
Two-day curator’s tour of artist studios and collections with curator and ARTSail founder and executive director Ombretta Agrò Andruff in Tuscany, Italy. Airfare, meals and lodging not included. This experience includes an invitation to bring along one guest of your choosing. Specific dates will be determined between the backer and Andruff upon completion of The Coral Sonata Kickstarter campaign.
Risks and challenges
Coordinating research residencies that link artists and scientists together aboard floating vessels is no small feat. It requires a whole lot of scheduling, equipment procurement, professional expertise, and the nimbleness to work with weather and other natural elements in South Florida’s waterways. After successfully staging three previous residencies, we’ve learned how to manage and respond to all of the inherent challenges. The underwater recordings require sensitive equipment and technical know-how, but Caecilia Tripp is well-versed in the latest technology and will be working directly with maritime, sound, and scientific professionals. The greatest risk in this project is bringing it to life when the arts and sciences are under attack in our home state of Florida. That’s why we’re appealing to the Kickstarter Arts community to help us independently continue making work that matters, regardless of what government powers deem relevant research and cultural production.
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Funding period
- (30 days)