In a recent visiting artist lecture and subsequent studio visits with InterArts graduates, Andrea Polli shared her ideas and project work concerning increasing our understanding of storms and climate change through the media of sonification. Polli currently works in collaboration with atmospheric scientists to develop systems for understanding the complexity and recent increase in frequency of climate and weather disruptions. Her recent projects include a spatialized sonification of highly detailed models of storms that devastated the New York area; a series of sonifications of climate in Central Park; and a real-time multi-channel sonification and visualization of weather in the Arctic.

Her lecture was fast-moving and covered a wealth of information, and her studio visits with InterArts graduates were also lively with information sharing and dialogue.

Polli meeting with graduate students Alex Borgen (left) and Mike Lahood (right).

Adding even more dimension to Polli’s visit to campus, a short video interview with Polli was created by InterArts Media grad student Ahmed Hamad, as part of his job as reporter for the Columbia Chronicle. The resulting documentation is sure to be referenced by current and future students and faculty in the program (see the complete video here).

Andrea Polli with InterArts media grad Valentina Vella.