David Rickard

David Rickard, is a New Zealand artist based in London, UK. His original studies in architecture have had a lasting impact on his art practice, embedding queries of material and spatial perception deep into his work. Through research and experimentation his works attempt to understand how we arrived at our current perception of the physical world and how far our perception is from what we call reality.

Project: The River’s Voice

Challenge 13: Living with Water: Integrating Freshwater Bodies into Urban Spaces/Restore Lost Connection

Project summary: The Adige River has undergone significant changes over time, especially near Trento where the river was canalised during the mid-19th century, a process that physically and psychologically distanced the river from the public. ‘The River’s Voice’ will seek a renewed relationship with the Adige River, reconnecting it to the city centre.
Through research, technical innovation and community collaboration we will reconsider the river as a living entity, rather than a natural resource. Researching the physical health of the river alongside its past through archives and local stories, we will begin to understand the river’s history and personality.
‘The River’s Voice’ will engage sound and Artificial Intelligence to restore lost connections between the river and the city. Stories, data and flowing water may once again be heard within the city centre as a disembodied presence or emanating from rocks that have come from the river itself, like digitally reconnected erratic stones.

Listen to the artist talking about “The Rivers’s Voice”