Make a very low frequency antenna for electromagnetic listening, as part of the Hackoustic All-Dayer for Iklectika.

This workshop proposes listening as a way to sense infrastructure and atmosphere as overlapping fields of signal and flow.

In pairs or small groups, we’ll build DIY antennas that allow us to tune into Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio waves. In cities, these antennas make audible the hums and buzzes of urban infrastructures – microwaves, fridges, computers, phones, and the mains power grid all leak radio frequencies. Outside the city, we can hear electromagnetic waves produced by natural phenomena, such as bursts of static from lightning striking in distant places. Sometimes, you can hear whistlers – when lightning travels along the Earth’s magnetic field lines to create mysterious descending tones.

We’ll trial two antenna designs: a large loop of computer cable that requires many hands to operate, and a more portable hula-hoop design by artist Dan Tapper. A process of ‘commoning’ the antennas will also be agreed, creating a shared library for participants to borrow and take out of the city.

Description supplied by the event organiser.