Transient is a sculptural and sonic installation inspired by the previous station that occupied this site, which was demolished after less than 30 years of use to make way for the current Middlesbrough station building.
Designed by Darlington-based architect John Middleton, the 1847 station closed its doors in 1874, with the 16th of December 2024 marking the 150th anniversary of its closure.
Alongside being a fascinating piece of intangible local history, the destruction of a building in order for it to grow opens up a wealth of interesting themes to explore.
Informed by this fascinating historical context, Ed Carter’s installation uses sound and light to ‘deconstruct’ the façade of the 1847 station building into its component parts, re-creating them as an abstract audiovisual form that captures the notion of de/re-construction as a creative and evolving process.
The installation explores themes of transience and impermanence, in the face of rapid social and economic change.
Ed Carter is an Ivor Novello nominated composer, sound artist, and interdisciplinary practitioner. He devises and creates works that are context-specific, often encouraging audiences to explore contemporary social themes through heritage and architectural contexts.
His recent projects span orchestral and electronic music, film, sculpture, large-scale installation, and sound works.