The poem "wieder und nie" by Suhrkamp author Gunther Geltinger is translated into an immersive installation, meticulously arranged within the architecture of the Marl City Hall and interpreted through its tonal nuances. The work simultaneously shapes the ambient environment through rhythm, sound, and frequency. Fragments of sound undergo a graceful transformation, evolving into microscopic sonic landscapes that delicately envelop the space, extending from in front of and between the ears of the observer.
wieder und nie: multi-channel installation for six walkman ear-plugs & a pressure chamber speaker in public spaces, German Sound Art Award, 2008
Wearing miniature headphones becomes a transformative experience, altering not only the listener's perception of their surroundings but also reshaping the very nature of the sounds emanating from the headphones. Both realms engage in a nuanced dance, creating an artificial but profound relationship where the distinctive auditory features are highlighted. The headphone plug, while providing a sense of isolation from the external environment, serves as more than a mere barrier. It acts as a catalyst for heightened awareness, fostering sensory-aesthetic interactions that can make the listener newly conscious. Furthermore, within this sonic realm, the headphone becomes a creative filter, birthing a third, unique layer of sound. This division of space into an independent optical dimension and several partially penetrating acoustic dimensions enables a variety of mixtures of concrete and associative impressions. At the centre is always the passerby. There are strange moments of confrontation and cognition. Observers and observed are brought together in one person.
Concept, recording & composition: Gerriet Krishna Sharma Poem: Gunther Geltinger Audio programming & technical solutions: Martin Rumori
A–2008
B–2008
C–2008