Echoes of a Dying Sea

Echoes of a Dying Sea is an instrument disguised as a fish. You walk up, talk into its mouth, and the Salton Sea sends something back.

Not symbolism. Your voice goes to an underwater speaker, crosses a stretch of water, hits a hydrophone, and returns shaped by salt, distance, and decay. You shout into a fish and hear what the sea does to you.

The fish is cut from steel plate on a CNC plasma table and welded into a faceted body, then painted, weathered, and rusted until it looks like it's always lived here. Seams are left open so internal light leaks through — a hint that there's wiring and audio gear stuffed in the ribcage.

It debuted on the shore of the Salton Sea at Bombay Beach Biennale 2026, taking voices, instruments, and noise and running them through water. For a beautiful stretch it worked exactly as intended. Then the sea won, as the Salton Sea always does. We learned things and we'll be back with better hardware.

The piece also appeared at an ArtBuilds fundraiser, and we're actively looking for future venues, festivals, and events to tour it. The fish travels well and adapts to any body of water worth listening to.

If you'd like to host it, plug sound into it, or help improve the hardware, reach out at art@deldiosglasshouse.com.

Built with friends at Glass House Arts, Escondido, CA.