In 1832 scientist Charles Babbage proposed that words remain as a physical trace in the atmosphere, long after their sound had dissipated. He imagined a computer that could harness the vibrations in the atmosphere and retrieve all the words ever spoken, allowing us to hear them once more.

This is the inspiration for the installation Atmospheric Memory, by Mexican-Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, at the Powerhouse Museum until November 5th, 2023.

The installation looks at how looks at our relationships the atmosphere around us, through the local environment, the climate, technology, first nations history and social justice.

Drive producer Katie O’Neill took a visit to the installation and took a peep behind the magic curtain, speaking with Powerhouse curator, Angelique Hutchinson about the exhibit.

 Music on this segment is ‘Delle’s Fog’ courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions. provided under Creative Commons NonCommercial 4.0 International