FERIDHOO (Maldives) – Ars gratia artis? Not always. Sometimes, art has a purpose, a practical utility. And we are not talking about a political-social or moral message, but a concrete, practical objective. That’s the case of “Coral Sonic Resilience”, the new work-project by Marco Barotti, an Italian multimedia artist based in Berlin, Germany, actually operating wherever it is possible to make art outside of any scheme and canon and wherever it is useful to stage any metaphor of the anthropogenic impact on the Earth, to make people aware of environmental and social issues.

“Coral Sonic Resilience” manages, in fact, to reconcile art as an end in itself with socially useful art and something even more concrete: science. How? By using sound to restore marine ecosystems, through a series of 3D printed sound sculptures and solar energy. An (artistic) acoustic ecology project, essentially, with a practical purpose: to give new life to coral reefs. 

“Coral reefs – Barotti explains – are not merely aesthetic marvels but pivotal ecosystems that sustain marine biodiversity. Alive with sound, the crackling of shrimp, fish chatter, and other natural noises of the reef create a unique underwater symphony. However, severe threats—including rising sea temperatures, pollution, and unsustainable fishing practices—have led to extensive coral bleaching, leaving the ocean floor in silence.”

In short: you have to turn the music back on. And so in this project, Barotti – who studied at the Siena Jazz Academy – explores the potentials of sonic stimulation with a direct environmental impact: rooted in the principles of acoustic ecology he explores how the soundscapes of healthy coral reefs can aid in reef restoration. Underwater, a series of sound sculptures reproduce the sounds of coral reefs in good health to attract fish and coral larvae. The sculptures, made of ceramic and calcium carbonate, provide a potential substrate for the corals to attach and grow, as well as for marine life to settle. Thus, they serve as both a habitat and a sound source, with the goal of bringing life back to damaged reefs.

Summarizing: the research project aims to explore healing possibilities in nature using sound. Science fiction? Not at all. Barotti was inspired by a scientific paper published by marine biologist Dr. Timothy Lamont from Lancaster University. Lamont, who now serves as the project’s mentor, applied a method called “Acoustic Enrichment” in 2022. Studies have shown that the sonic amplification of healthy coral reefs not only attracts marine life to damaged reefs, but potentially helps to restore degraded ecosystems…

But let’s proceed in order and take a step back to better understand the genesis of the work.

Barotti, how did the idea of ​​underwater sound sculptures come about?

“In 2023, I developed an artwork titled CORALS in collaboration with Technische Universität and the Science Gallery Berlin, specifically with BIFOLD, the research hub for Big Data and Machine Learning. For this piece, we worked with datasets from NOAA, Copernicus, and NASA to create what I call Techno Shamans—algorithms trained on shamanistic music from South Korea, South America, and Japan. The goal was to generate speculative healing rituals for global coral reefs through the artwork. During my research, I discovered the rich soundscapes of healthy coral reefs—sonic environments that are cosmic, calming, and surprisingly playful. As I immersed myself in acoustic ecology, I realized that a marine biologist was actively applying, through science, what my conceptual, speculative artwork sought to metaphorically explore. This marine biologist, Prof. Timothy Lamont from Lancaster University, applied a technique called Acoustic Enrichment to aid coral reef restoration. His research became the inspiration for my next artwork: Coral Sonic Resilience.”

At that point, Barotti began researching acoustic ecology and exploring 3D printing possibilities using bio-based materials such as ceramics and calcium carbonate—both reef-compatible and reflective of the natural composition of corals. He created a series of underwater sculptures inspired by the shapes and structures of different species of corals, designed to invite marine life to settle and grow, and sustainably powered by a custom-made floating solar energy station (Buoy: in the pic here below).

Where and how did you record the sounds to be played underwater?

“The sounds were recorded in healthy reefs around Feridhoo Island, Maldives, using hydrophones placed directly on the reefs and retrieved after 48-96 hours. The recordings were then analyzed and cleaned of interference from boats and other elements external to the ecosystem. Then, I created a 24-hour audio file, respecting the natural daily cycle of the marine environment. The audio track was finally loaded into the sound system installed inside the buoy and broadcast through underwater speakers.”

The sound sculptures were installed for tests on a reef near Feridhoo Island in the Maldives in December 2024. The final deployment of the sound sculptures is scheduled for July 2025, with eight test sites—four with sound and four without sound for comparison. Timothy Lamont will then monitor the abundance of returning fish, coral growth, and the overall impact of the sounds on the underwater environment over four months. The collected data will be analyzed to assess the effectiveness of “Acoustic Enrichment”.

As further proof of the scientific nature of the work, Barotti collaborates with marine biologist Dr. Timothy Lamont (Lancaster University) to ensure his artistic interventions align with ongoing conservation efforts. Prof. Marco Patruno and Dr. Antonio Beggiato from the Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA) at the University of Padua will oversee the coral nursery and data analysis following the installation of the sculptures. The project’s setup will be carried out in close collaboration with The Maldives National University, the local community, the Coral Restoration Project Feridhoo, and the Feridhoo Island Council, fostering a collective effort toward reef restoration. Future collaborations are being explored with University of Bicocca in Milano, the Marine Research and Higher Education Center Maldive (MaHRE), the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Marevivo in Italy.

The Technical Partner is WASP. The design simulations and performance optimization of the buoy are conducted by Alles Blinkt and the MORE Lab Politecnico. Supported by Electro-voice, Ambient Recording, GroupGets, the project is funded by Relaxound, Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt and C-TAKT.

Beyond its environmental objectives, Coral Sonic Resilience project will evolve into an audiovisual submersive artwork, with exhibitions planned at venues worldwide in 2026, to raise awareness of marine conservation and inspire action through the combined power of art and science. Art alone cannot save the world, but with the help of science, perhaps…

Marco Barotti speaks the new artistic language of the post-futurist era

BERLIN – Marco Barotti (in the pic above), Tuscan, born in 1979, is a multimedia artist. After studying music at the Siena Jazz Academy, he began merging sound with visual art. His work is driven by a desire to invent an artistic language in which a fictional post-futurist era is expressed through kinetic sound interventions in natural and urban environments. His installations merge audio technology, consumer objects, and waste into moving sculptures triggered entirely by sound. The primary focus of his work is to create a “tech ecosystem” that plays with resemblances to animals and plants. These artworks serve as a metaphor for the anthropogenic impact on the planet and aim to make people aware of environmental and social issues.

Barotti has been awarded the NTU Global Digital Art Prize (Clams), the Tesla Award (Swans) and the Dulux Colour Award (Sound Of Light).

His work has been exhibited internationally at Gwangju Biennale (Gwangju), Ars Electronica (Linz), Saatchi Gallery (London), Science Gallery (Melbourne), New Media Gallery (Vancouver) Futurium (Berlin), Fact (Liverpool), Wro Art Center (Wroclaw), Picknick (Seoul), Isea (Montreal), ARCAM Architecture Center (Amsterdam), silent green (Berlin), Dutch Design Week (Eindhoven), NTU (Singapore), Stuk (Leuven), Kikk Festival (Namur), Zer01ne, (Seoul), Emaf (Osnabrück), Lisboa Soa (Lisbon), La Boral (Gijón), New Holland Island and Sevkabel Port (St Petersburg).

Barotti has received grants from S+T+ARTS, Stiftung Kunstfonds, Emap / Emare, bbk and Music Board Berlin. He has been selected for prestigious residency programs such as Art of Entanglement, Science Gallery Berlin / BIFOLD at TU Berlin (2023), Zer01ne Creators project, Seoul (2022), Re:Searching IT Security CASA – Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security Ruhr-Universität Bochum (2021) and WRO Center for Media Art, Wroclaw (2019).

Further information about Marco Barotti and his artistic activity is on the website https://www.marcobarotti.com/