A wave of water runs diagonally through the foyer of ACTEWAGL’s headquarters in the centre of Canberra. Contained in a 15 metre long flume tank elevated 2 metres in the air, the rolling undulations of a monochromatic sine wave travel the length of the transparent tank. Mesmerising travelling peaks and troughs slip by in a mercurial stream of silvery flow.

Positioned just above head height, we see the illuminated edge of the wave as it traces its’ watery line along the length of the glass tank. At the same time the mysteriously shimmering liquid landscape of the underside of the water’s surface is revealed as the wave rolls by.

In the tradition of ‘found sculpture’, Waveline takes a form and mechanism for the study of waves from the hydraulics laboratory and recontextualises it in the public domain. Flume tanks are used in the study of fluid dynamics and hidden away inside university walls. Simple yet crude in their laboratory form they contain pure liquid poetry. Waveline will maintain the simplicity of the laboratory model yet refine its form to create an elegant structure that allows a focus on the performance of the water itself.

A wave making mechanism at one end of the tank will intermittently create a monochromatic sine wave that can run the entire length of the tank. Starting with the water at rest we will be able to watch as the head of the wave rolls along the tank finally reaching the far end. The tail of the wave will follow behind until its energy is expended and the water comes to rest again. The wave generator can also operate continuously to create periods of ongoing waves. The mechanism can produce a variety of wave types and sequencing of waves. The length, amplitude and texture can all be varied and result in dramatic and subtle changes in the mood of the artwork. The flume tank becomes an aquatic theatre where waves perform a sequence of liquid choreographies.

The foyer of ACTEWAGL offers the opportunity to bring beauty, wonder and an exposition of a powerful energy source to the life of the city. As both public art and civic gesture people will be able to experience not only an artwork but also a distillation of nature’s energy. As such Waveline is both public art and public education, a poetic revelation for the adults and children of Canberra.