Magnetite
Research & Fieldwork | Kinetic Sounding Object | Performance (2026 - ongoing)
Magnetite is a work-in-progress sound installation that depicts moments when navigation becomes unreliable. While the earth’s ancient magnetic field provides certainty, areas of naturally occurring magnetic anomaly may cause the compass needle to deviate.
During her three month residency, Heu Hsu has examined the magnetism of Icelandic rocks through fieldwork with geophysicist Elisa Piispa specialising in paleomagnetism: collecting rock samples, measuring the magnetic field strength of the lava flows, and visiting a drill core center in Eastern Iceland.
The exhibition provides a glimpse into Heu’s ongoing research on the narratives stored within the magnetic rocks through sound. Activated by magnetism, rocks alternate between sporadic movements and moments of stillness. The installation reflects on how certainty becomes unstable when our reference point begins to drift.
Research & Fieldwork
Exhibition
Performance
Fieldwork video coming soon...
The three months residency was supported by Finnish Cultural Foundation.