Sparrows Sing to an Indifferent Sea, Dario Robleto

Dario Robleto’s investigation of the earliest recordings of the human heartbeat led him to the waveform, or pulse wave: the visual representation of the heart’s activity. Here, early waveforms take three-dimensional forms in brass-plated stainless steel. Whether plodding on in a steady rhythm, leaping in rapid succession, or slowly undulating, these waves visualize the bodily experiences of those listening to music and having other auditory experiences between 1876 and 1896. The visual differences among the waveforms raise questions about universality and individuality in our bodily forms: being moved by music is an experience many of us have in common, even if our emotional and physiological responses vary drastically.