the artist
Mathis Gmachl is an Austrian artist, activist, designer and researcher based in London. He enlivens both physical and digital spaces with innovative experiences and environments, using the power of imagination to radically rethink our future.
Mathis Gmachl
creative intention
Echoes rewards with music when the public respectfully interacts with the marine mammal's living space. If you get too close to the calf, you are punished with silence.
Through these two levels of interaction, the creator makes us aware of the vulnerability of nature and invites us to consider the impact of our daily actions on the environment.
Indeed, Mathias Gmachl explains that we are living in a crucial period. He believes that we have just under 10 years left to act and reverse the climate crisis that is destroying our ecosystems, for which we humans are largely responsible:
"With Echoes, I want to provide an open space for the public to engage in discussion about the future of our planet. Not just for whales, but for all life that exists. The need to create a gathering point to learn and dream of a better future seems more important to me than ever. This installation is my modest contribution to a larger movement of discourse and action for real change.”
- Mathias Gmachl
Artistic Approach
Echoes was conceived and developed over 12 months in collaboration with marine biologists to create the most realistic calf sculpture possible.
The result is a sculpture that is 17 meters long, and weighs 5 tons.
Did you know?
Blue whale calves are born measuring 6 to 7 meters long and weighing 2 to 3 tons!
By inviting a life-size whale to cohabit with us in the city and to share our public spaces, Gmachl makes us gain perspective: we share our beautiful planet with our “roommates” the animals and plants.
We must maintain and protect this friendly cohabitation so that we do not find ourselves alone on a silent, empty planet where all these magnificent sounds, sights and creatures will have disappeared.
THE artwork
Echoes - a voice from uncharted waters is an interactive artwork by Mathias Gmachl.
This life-size sculpture presents a one-year-old blue whale, the approximate age at which a calf separates from its mother and sets off alone to discover its precious habitat: the ocean.
With its serene sonic and luminous atmosphere, Echoes captivates with its beauty, but above all sparks important conversations about the future of our planet and its ecosystems.
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