Художница превратила подземные канализационные люки Гамильтона в танцующий световой проект

In the bitter January cold, Emma Eichenberg went on a shivery sightseeing tour of sewer grates. For 20 minutes at every sewer hole cover, the McMaster University fine arts alumna — armed with her iPhone’s document scanner and a borrowed camera — meticulously documented the round street fixtures in the area surrounding her artistic home at Factory Media Centre on Victoria Avenue North. Now, Eichenberg is flipping the city’s underground infrastructure on its head — projected straight onto the ceiling of Hamilton’s oldest hydroelectric building, which houses the local non-profit artist hub, from Aug. 17 to Sept. 4. Titled “Wet Maps,” the three-minute digital animation exhibit at Factory Media Centre traces the subterranean flushed flow of water through the city’s Beasley and North End neighbourhoods. “Everyone should come watch the sewers dance,” Eichenberg says. The “dancing” kicks off at the corner of Emerald and Shaw streets, as a glowing blue sewer hole cover lights up the ceiling and begins to spin. From there, the water flow starts — and you’d never guess it was recreated using Gatorade against a green screen. Between the spinning and sparkling of each individual grate, water flows seamlessly from circle to circle, mirroring the exact directional path of the neighbourhood’s actual sewer system, before ending its journey on Emerald Street between Shaw and Burton streets. Eichenberg, a resident artist at Factory Media Centre, housed in the historic Cataract Power Company building, was originally drawn to the project by the unique esthetic of sewer access holes — and a desire to bring the hidden currents of the city’s underground up into the light. “Something secret happens down there,” Eichenberg says. “I wanted to show everyone how an unknown being operates in a way that considered esthetics while being digestible.” Informed by the City of Hamilton’s online interactive sewer map, the installation uses the ceiling of the 125-year-old building as a natural canvas, treating its architectural grid lines as an urban map of the north-end neighbourhood. To bring the exhibit to life, Eichenberg used Adobe Photoshop to overlay her photos and scans of each maintenance hole, animating their movements based on their type — such as rainwater versus wastewater — before isolating the water footage and using projection mapping to accurately trace the flows. “Putting something so busy onto something so calm, the ceiling, was really exciting,” Eichenberg says. But the artist didn’t shy away from describing the city’s sewer system as “destructive” infrastructure, adding that part of her intent was to highlight its environmental impacts — particularly in a city that is no stranger to what happens when these systems fail. Eichenberg noted that between 2014 and 2018, more than 24 billion litres of raw sewage leaked into Chedoke Creek and Cootes Paradise, an environmental scandal that sparked a furor in the city. Ultimately, she hopes to give Hamiltonians a chance to reimagine the city’s hidden infrastructure, and the subterranean currents that keep the city moving. “I wanted to bring something magical to them, and that’s why I made them dance,” she said. The exhibit is free to view at Factory Media Centre at 366 Victoria Ave. North until Sept. 4, from 12-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by appointment. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.