What is Stream of Stream?
Stream of Stream is an ongoing archive of streams. Each stream is recorded using an underwater microphone and uploaded to the cloud. There, the sound of flowing water becomes a digital stream—a continuous transmission of data over the internet. It’s both a literal and poetic meditation on what it means to stream in the digital age.
Why did you make Stream of Stream?
Stream of Stream began as a university school project during COVID. For our final presentations, we were asked to create a performance—something that would take place in person but also be streamed online. At the time, I was spending a lot of time walking in nature. During a conversation with one of our teachers about my walks and studio work, I joked: What if I just streamed a stream?
That project lives on—maybe because my husband and I often go on long walks with our two dogs, and we frequently come across brooks, creeks, streams and rivers. I started carrying an underwater recorder in my backpack—one I bought online, originally intended for recording whale sounds—and whenever we passed one, I’d sometimes record the audio and upload it to the website to share with friends.
Who or what inspired you?
At the time, I was reading Timothy Morton’s books—especially his ideas about ecology and the entanglement of nature and technology. I was also influenced by New Dark Age by James Bridle, who writes about how we use metaphors from nature—clouds, streams, viruses—to describe the digital world. I found that fascinating: how we frame machine processes in poetic terms, and in doing so, forget what they truly are.
“Streaming” evokes a peaceful flow, but in reality, it’s a constant, energy-intensive digital process. Meanwhile, real water flow generates energy in the physical world. But for me, the sound of water is simply calming.
Visit Stream of Stream and Anežka’s personal website and Instagram.