Luisa Pinzon
I Made a Promise
I Made a Promise is an immersive interactive installation created in collaboration between artist A’JaeCea Carlie and sound designer Luisa Pinzón. The work traces parallels between the health of coral reef ecosystems and the human body, born from Carlie’s personal reckoning with chronic illness and environmental collapse. A 15-foot sculpture, built from scrap metal, commercial waste, seaweed bioplastic, and calcium carbonate-based materials, anchors the installation. Its tensegrity structure mirrors both the strength and fragility found in coral and human bodies. Inside, visitors encounter a 360-degree sound environment, projection-mapped visuals, interactive water sensors, and a materials library exploring biomaterial experiments centered on regeneration over extraction. The work invites viewers to recognize ecological interdependence and multispecies care while creating a gathering space that increases connection to each other, other species, and the ocean.
Luisa composed Coral Symphony from hydrophone recordings of living reefs and underwater sounds made by coral and marine species. Using A’JaeCea’s photomicrographs and underwater photographs as visual reference points, Pinzón generated touch-reactive visuals in TouchDesigner that respond to viewer interaction and water quality. A custom four-channel surround sound system was built from scratch using networked Raspberry Pi units, each driving dedicated speakers through amplification, distributing sound across the interior of the sculpture in real time. Capacitive touch sensors detect when viewers interact with water, dynamically shifting both sound and projected visuals to reflect water quality and gesture toward the relationship between human actions and coral health. Projection-mapped visuals are layered throughout the sculpture’s interior. The entire system operates as a responsive ecosystem where sound, image, and sensor input create a symbiotic dialogue that mirrors coral reef mutualism.
Artist and Concept: A’JaeCea Carlie. Collaboration and Sound Installation: Luisa Pinzón. Carlie’s photomicrographs and underwater photographs serve as visual foundation for the interactive elements. Sculpture materials and construction reflect research into biomaterials and cycles of extraction and regeneration.