Oxford Light Festival, Oxford War Memorial, UK
Leviathan: The Wave was a site-specific installation created for the Oxford Light Festival and installed at the Oxford War Memorial. Led by Joe Fairweather-Hole, this iteration reimagined the Leviathan as a breaking wave, carrying stories of migration, loss, and futures shaped by the sea.
A timber structure appeared to crash against the stone monument, emitting whispered voices that built into a dense sonic field before subsiding again. Light animated the structure, casting moving shadows across the surrounding space, while a transparent vessel carried miniature figures, suggesting fragile human narratives borne across uncertain waters.
The work drew on live long-wave radio recordings, materials from the Pitt Rivers Museum, and digital scenography, linking local histories to global oceanic systems. This iteration translated the Arctic research into a public, urban setting, making the Leviathan narrative accessible to a broad audience.
Produced in association with Ian Nolan Events, with support from Oxford City Council, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford Wood Recycling, Voices Unlimited, Ocean Networks Canada, and Colin Potter.