Fountain of Heartbeats will be on view at the Natuurmuseum Fryslân from 26 June.
The heartbeat of animals can vary greatly from species to species. Humans have a heart rate of around 60 to 100 beats per minute. Small animals, like mice and hamsters, can have heartbeats of up to 400 to 600 beats per minute. Elephants, on the other hand, have heart rates of around 30 beats per minute.
Sanne Vaassen brings these rhythms together in her water installation Fountain of Heartbeats, first shown at Oerol and now – fittingly – at the Natuurmuseum in Leeuwarden. The installation consists of a central reservoir that pumps water through a series of metal pipes. Each pipe represents an animal important to the specific ecosystem in which the work is exhibited – meaning the piece at Terschelling differs from the one in Leeuwarden.
From each pipe, water drips in sync with the heartbeat of the animal it represents. The drops fall onto a soundboard, making the rhythm audible. Together, these heartbeat-drips create a delicate composition. When one of the ‘hearts’ falls silent, the melody is disrupted.
The fossils embedded in the wooden platform around the reservoir, and the stones inside it, create a tangible connection to the past. They remind us that the animals of today will eventually become part of geological time.
With this installation, Vaassen highlights both the fragility of each individual animal and the intricate balance of ecosystems – where every voice matters and nothing is without consequence.
Sanne Vaassen takes part in Paradys as the winner of the third Symbio Art Prize.