This is not a drill

Deep Communion sung in minor (ArchipelaGO, THIS IS NOT A DRILL)

Deep Communion sung in minor (ArchipelaGO, THIS IS NOT A DRILL), a 16-channel immersive sound installation, invites the public to take part in an extended performance - raising awareness of the dangers of deep-water mining in the Pacific.

It is presented at the Opale Foundation as part of the 2nd edition of Biennale Son.

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Through the construction of a platform made up of sounds and rowing machines, the work evokes rituals of mass collective worship and superimposes geopolitical issues onto cultural complexities linked to spiritual beliefs and ritual practices, through faiva (body-centered) performances.

This immersive installation is Taumoepeau's interpretation of an ancient choral ritual, the Me'etu'upaki: (me'e) means dance, (tu'u) standing, (paki) with paddles. By collectively committing to powering the rowing machines, the audience amplifies the scope of their people's ceremonial Me'etu'upaki - a collective effort that participates in the resistance against deep-sea mining. At the heart of this work lies an ancestral cultural obligation: to keep alive the cosmogony of the artist's Tongan ancestors through vā (space/time), where Kele (marine sediment) and Limu (seaweed) remain intact. Taumoepeau then poses the question: who is prepared to carry out this work in an exercise of ecological responsibility?

The installation can be activated by visitors when Foundation Opale is open.