Annie Dunning

House on Fire

2020

House on Fire is a sound-sculpture made in response to the wildfires that were ravaging Australia in early 2020. Various forms of communication from past eras are hinted at in this work, as well as shifts in attitudes toward the environment and other species. The sculpture is made from broken stereo components, loosely concealed behind a romantic illustration from the 1800s of a Magpie – a bird who is a natural mimic. From the jumble of raw audio components, a recording of a single Magpie imitating a siren can be heard, played on repeat. A siren, which is a typical part of the contemporary urban soundscape, becomes a much more poignant alarm when sounded by another species.