Biography
Marco Barotti is a media artist. After music studies 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 was awarded the Art & Science Breakthrough of the Year by Falling Walls, received an Honorary Mention from the S+T+ARTS Prize, and won the NTU Global Digital Art Prize, the Tesla Award, and the Delux Colour Award.
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), Stuck, (Leuven), Kikkk Festival (Namur), Zer01ne, (Seoul), Emaf (Osnabrück), Lisboa Soa (Lisbon), La Boral, (Gijón), New Holland Island and Sevcableport (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).
In residentie CORAL SONIC RESILIENCE
01.01.2026 – 01.01.2026
CORAL SONIC RESILIENCE is an interdisciplinary art and science project rooted in acoustic ecology. Using underwater sound sculptures, it explores how the soundscapes of healthy coral reefs can support the recovery of damaged ones. Recent research in marine biology has revealed that the natural sounds of thriving reefs attract fish larvae and other marine organisms, helping to repopulate areas where marine life has declined. This process brings life back to the reef and supports the restoration process.
The sound sculptures are installed in damaged reefs and coral nurseries, serving as shelters for fish and substrates for coral growth. The underwater artwork continuously play vibrant, prerecorded soundscapes of healthy reefs, using sound as an active tool for restoration and environmental recovery. The sculptures’ shapes are inspired by coral landscapes and the intricate textures of brain corals. They are 3D-printed using ceramics and calcium carbonate—materials that are reef-compatible and reflect the natural composition of corals. The installation is fully powered by a custom-made floating solar energy station (Buoy).
CORAL SONIC RESILIENCE is more than an aesthetic experience—it’s a scientifically grounded initiative that merges art and science to promote marine conservation and reef restoration. In addition to its environmental objectives, the project evolves into an immersive artwork, with plans to be exhibited in 2026 at ZKM Karlsruhe, Science Gallery Melbourne, Art Laboratory Berlin. This artistic element raises awareness about marine conservation and inspires action through the combined power of art and science.