Acts in Translation

A scantily drawn diagram of arrows that form two circles with the smaller circle nested inside the larger. A linear flow of arrows moves from one side of the circumference downwards towards a focal point and then travels upwards towards the opposite side of the circumference to create a conical structure.

Two windows having a moment together.

A story emerges every hour on the hour in universal coordinated time (UTC), marking the passing of time without keeping it.

Ambient recordings from different cities at separate times are procedurally sequenced in relationship to each other.

SOUND ON

Your moment & my moment
are never quite the same.

About⇜ Back

ACTS IN TRANSLATION is an online, generative moving image and sound installation. On each hour, in Universal Coordinated Time, a story about a broken heart emerges. The unique soundscapes on each page visit are contributions from people and moments around the world. The project was conceived in February 2020 as countries worldwide, gripped by a global pandemic, restricted citizen mobility. These restrictions compelled public urban life into domestic spaces. Consequently, network and communication technologies take on an increasingly integral role in mediating contemporary life. This project serves to archive a distinct passage of everyday life in human history.

Transcript & Audio ⇝

Credits

Direction & Concept by Dalena Tran ⇝
Visuals & Web Design by Dalena Tran
Technical Support by Hirad Sab ⇝

Audio Contributions

Adam Kaye
Ali Eslami
André Alves
Arina Mahmoudian
Austen Erblat
Avisha Sab
Bartek Biernacki
Berit Gilma
Clarissa Ribeiro
Clement Fortin
Dasul Kim
Doan Minh Dang
Donna Ghassemi
Elton Kuns
Faraz Dirin
Hu Rui

Ilya Bespalov
Jasmin Xanthos
Jennifer Steinkamp
Jimmy Zhi
Jodi Cheung
John Goolvart
Karina Lopez
Kevin Dichosa
Lauren Goshinski
Lauren Lee McCarthy
Lloyd Galbraith
Manuel Oliveira
Mara Lemesany
Matteo Zamagni
Matthew Dervenkov
Matthew Dotson

Megan Anderson
Michael Baker
Miles Peyton
Mina Tahmouresie
Mitchell Sang Wang
Mohamed Allam
Morehshin Allahyari
Nathan Seymour
Omar Castanon
Pancho Blood
Pieter Jossa
Robert Thomas Heppell
Samah Safiullah
Sasha Gransjean
Sebastian Kurtz
Shriya Ravishankar

Special Thanks

Lauren Lee McCarthy, Chandler McWilliams, Casey Reas, Danny Snelson, Erkki Huhtamo, Cayetano Ferrer, Jennifer Steinkamp, Noa Kaplan, Ana Iwataki, & the DMA 2020 Cohort