AfterMath

The foundation of Giuliana Funkhouser’s MFA research project AfterMath is a Max patch interpreting varying viewpoints of events unfolding around Puerto Rico's "storm of the century" through a 4-channel spatialized sound art installation. Randomized elements within this computer program are based on numerical datasets detailing information about Puerto Rico such as exit-traffic and mortality estimates following the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. Synthesized drones modulated by sonically interpreted data harmonize with and interrupt field recordings from daily life on the island – including the song of the endemic frog coqí and conversations during a blackout at a restaurant. AfterMath is an ode to those who have moved on or survived to tell the tale after living through catastrophic events exacerbated by negligent disaster response.