_“The Requiem of Ulam”_ is a sound installation with a high performative component based on a system of controlled explosions of hydrogen bubbles. The project embodies a criticism of nationalism and questions, from the artistic gesture, the power structures that inhabit concepts such as Homeland or Nation.

In its materiality, the work is made up of three important physical parts: a hydrogen producing cell, a conveyor belt and an interactive video system.

The hydrogen cell uses electrolysis to break down and separate water into their essential parts: Hydrogen and Oxygen. From this process I grow Hydroxy, a highly flammable gas that, combined with soap and glycerin, I use to create bubbles.

Calmly, on the conveyor belt I deposit each bubble in a specific order. Once the drawing is finished, I make the conveyor belt drive the entire score to one of its ends, where a red-hot Nichrome wire will make it explode. By regulating the amount of Hydroxy gas injected and the cadence of the explosions, I can cover a wide spectrum of tones and, thanks to an integrated microphone circuit, amplify, modify and spatialize the sound signal.

The explosion of each sequence sings a national anthem in fire and with each verse an interactive video software is fed. The program iterates through a database composed of images and video fragments of the hands of dignitaries, rulers and dictators. With each tune the system advances, changing hand gestures according to the sound.

Once the sound sequence has concluded, the process is repeated with the next anthem and so on until the recognized countries that have military potential are covered. The performative gesture in this work is based on the implementation of the entire system, the piece as a whole is an instrument and my role is to make it sound. The audience will contemplate each part of the process and will be surrounded by the sound of the explosions, at the mercy of the tunes.

The name of the work refers to the figure of the important Polish mathematician Stanisław Marcin Ulam, creator of the Teller-Ulam method from which it was possible to develop the hydrogen bomb; the greatest destructive power in the modern world.

Drawing inspiration from the intricate mechanics of sound devices and the intricate dance of electrochemical processes, this piece delves into the enigmatic realms of control and power doctrines. It ventures to unravel the intricate web where the order of our thoughts is ensnared by the pervasive influence of the State, shaping our very perception of reality. Amidst the tapestry of ideologies—Patriotisms, Nationalisms, Regionalisms—we find ourselves navigating daily, assuming roles and affiliations as social beings. Often, we find ourselves echoing historical hymns and mirroring the ideals of others, neglecting to explore our own convictions. We seek refuge in flags, speak of freedom without truly experiencing it, and ardently defend the arbitrary lines of demarcation we call borders. _”The Requiem of Ulam”_ emerges as a testament to the marriage of science and art, echoing the transformative symphony of water igniting into flame.