The Parkfield Interventional EQ Fieldwork is a geologically interactive, kinetic earthwork that has been installed in the remote township of Parkfield, Central California, USA.

This large scale and time based earthwork is located 218 miles south of San Francisco and 196 miles north of Los Angeles.

PIEQF is a seismic art interface between real-time reported Californian earthquakes and a hydraulically actuated earthquake shake table installed in a 75ft long x 30ft wide excavated trench.

Each time an earthquake occurs, an array of 5/8 inch steel rods attached to the earthquake shake table oscillates and resonates, reflecting the dynamic nature of the Californian landscape.

PIEQF is a geological performance blip resulting in a feedback loop between the seismicity of California and a physical and mechanical representation of all Californian seismic events that occur until the 16th November 2008.

PIEQF is triggered by ALL seismic events that occur throughout the state of California. The conceptual basis behind this is to bring all seismic events to a hypothetical epicentre. Each time a seismic event is reported the horizontal motion of an earthquake shake table is triggered. Surrounding the earthquake shake table and buried within the excavation is an array of vertical motion sensors called L10 Geophones. These Geophones are excited when walked over or jumped upon which trigger the vertical motion of the shake table. Visitors to PIEQF can engage interactively with the earthwork.

PIEQF sleeps at night between 9.30pm and 6.30am. The control system keeps polling seismic events overnight, then replays them at 6.30am every morning. After this morning replay sequence, PIEQF switches into live mode and is triggered by near-realtime reported earthquakes which are reported between 30sec - 3min after actual earthquakes occur.

PIEQF is a conceptual intervention within a geological time frame. An action and a system designed to intervene and introduce a humanistic time scale to the notion of deep time. In affect PIEQF is a blip on the geological radar! PIEQF is an interactive earthwork, connecting, mapping and creating a mark, a temporary scar and a reference point within a geological time scale. The end result; a NO trace, performance based, geological action in which a digital archive will remain well into the future after the intervention is complete but continue life as a series of documents and myth.

part Machine part Earthwork part Performance

Websites

http://pieqf.allshookup.org/
http://artlife.blogspot.com/2008/08/little-less-conversation-little-more.html