Maya Livio, score by JP Merz

Thermopower

This project is planned to take place in the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)’s Mesa Room in Fall 2019. The location, nestled in Boulder’s Rocky Mountain foothills, is close to habitats of the American pikas featured in the piece, and NCAR’s mission is deeply connected to the work’s environmental themes. The event will be free to attend, and easily accessible to audiences across the Front Range, offering free parking and ADA accessibility.

Thermopower is an interdisciplinary project that reframes climate by weaving the concept of thermoregulation through the practices of human animals, non-human animals, and human-designed technologies. It follows the story of the American pika—a small relative of rabbits and indicator species for the climate crisis, who lives in the mountains of western North America. Blending video from a steerable online research camera together with satellite imagery, narration, and a score performed live by a classical chamber ensemble, the project commingles creative, scientific, and technological approaches, and animates a conversation on the role of technology in maintaining livable temperatures.