Numen

Just an idea at this stage. I think scientific ideas and knowledge can be presented in new ways –

“the importance of imagination and the bringing together the arts and the sciences. And it’s something that I think is incredibly important when you look at climate change. It’s that sense that we cannot get us out of this mess if we just rely on scientists and politicians or geo engineers, and we need poets and writers and musicians and artists.”

– Complexity Podcast. Andrea Wulf on Magnificent Rebels: The First Romantics and The Invention of The Self. (March 25th, 2023)

Numen can be interpreted as ‘spirit of place’.

Numen is a multimedia immersive song cycle exploring the changing climate and weather patterns of the Great Southern region and Albany in Western Australia, created by Albany- based award-winning fulldome artist Peter Morse, with an original musical score by Perth- based composer and musician Glenn Rogers.

Celebrating the Menang-Noongar language, the song cycle follows the six Menang-Noongar seasons; Beruc, Meertilluc, Pourner, Mawkur, Meeringal and Maungeron.

In part it explores the question of why indigenous culture in southern Western Australia developed the notion of six-seasons, as opposed to the European astronomical model of four calendrical seasons. It can be understood as a situated knowledge developed over thousands of years of lived experience, with ancient stories potentially extending far back into the cold climate of the Nyitting time. This corresponds with an ancient ice age in Western Australia (Gergis, 2018), some 12,000 years ago in the proto-Australian continent of Sahul (Kennett et al., 2018).

It is an art-science project, utilising cutting-edge computer visualisation of climate and geological simulations, satellite data and ultra-high definition videography. The stunning visuals are accompanied by a specially composed musical score.

It is conceived for multiple configuration large-scale projection, ranging from single screen to projection-mapping environments.