Field recording workshops by Els Viaene (Belgium) and Udo Noll (Germany), in the framework of the project Sounds of Europe, in collaboration with Školská 28 and Asociace MLOK



Workshop by Els Viaene: Sound as Space



How can an undefined space be transformed through the use of an aural landscape (the sounds surrounding us in all kinds of different landscapes, situations and shapes)? How might field recordings be translated into a specific space?



The workshop will focus on the spatiality of sound, and playing with notions of inside spaces and outside locations. During the workshop, the city will be scanned in different ways: with our ears, through quadrophonic recordings and by approaching the audible layers from a vertical perspective. Recordings will be made both in groups and individually, with a presentation at the end of the week.



Some experience in working with sound is required. Please bring a sound recording device if you have one.



Workshop by Udo Noll: radio spaces



Aside from many others, an intriguing aspect of radio is its connectivity, the ability to create an almost spatial presence, among a virtual community of listeners, and of the media itself. The elaborated dials of old receivers may tell a story about this relation between space and the self, they are maps of a sonic landscape centred around an open ear.
In recent years, practices around radio production, distribution and listening have changed due to the presence and availability of the Internet. radio aporee investigates these new radio spaces, and proposes field recording for the engagement with sites and environ- ments, in order to explore and develop new forms and formats.
The aim of the workshop is to produce a piece of radio art, that takes its material and subject from public space, and reflects the conditions and possibilities of an extended sensorial radio. During the workshop, participants will gather and record found sounds, voices and noises, as well as occasional sonic interventions, at street corners, backyards and other urban wastelands. The material will be organized within the radio aporee framework and processed for later distribution on various radio stations.



Program



Day 1: introduction on field recording practice by Els Viaene and introduction to radio aporee tools and concepts by Udo Noll, followed by group discussions on how we listen and relate to sound, of methods and actions, listening to radio and recordings on the aporee maps



Day 2-3:

‘Sound as Space’: sound excursions through the city, exploring locations, quadrophonic group recordings, individual field trips

‘radio spaces’: strolling around, recording and preparing of material for upload to aporee



Day 4:

‘Sound as Space’: moulding and spatializing the recorded material to an empty room

‘radio spaces’: listening sessions and organizing of the material



Day 5: finalizing the outcome towards a presentation






About the workshop leaders



Els Viaene (°1979, Belgium) started her work as a sound artist / field recordist in 2001. With a set-up of two small microphones she listens, zooms into and enlarges the aural landscapes surrounding us. The natural rhythms and textures of the sounds hidden in those landscapes form the basis of her work. Working on these sound materials for performances, sound compositions or installations she makes the listeners travel in imaginary and organic environments. Through the specific use and set-up of sound within a space her installations create new spaces within existing ones, either emphasizing or making dissapear the physical borders of that space. In doing so she often plays with the notions of seeing and hearing, the perception of what we see and hear and how both interfere.



Udo Noll, media artist, (°1966, Germany), lives in Berlin and Cologne. He graduated as applied scientist / degreed engineer for photography, film and media technology at the university of Cologne. He has worked as an artist and media professional in numerous international projects and exhibitions, and is the founder of radio aporee, an open and collaborative platform for artistic practises related to sound, space and places.
radio aporee is a project & platform for the artistic research of concepts and practices related to sound, place and spatial conditions. It provides tools and techniques for the engagement and interaction with actual environments, in and in between real and virtual spaces. It suggests listening as a way to enrich and intensify the experience and per- ception of the world around us.

Practical information



Participation in the workshop is free of charge but you need to register beforehand.



To sign up for one of the workshops or for any further inquiries, please contact Ann Goossens: info@soundsofeurope.eu



Other running connected activities

October 1st-5th: Workshop ‘sound lines / drawing scores’ by John and Evelyn Grzinich (www.soundexchange.eu)

October 2nd: Evening talk by Peter Cusack (UK), Udo Noll (DE) and Miloš Vojtěchovský (CZ)

October 4th: Opening installation ‘Carpets Curtains’ (Palacký & Cenek) @ Školská 28

October 5th: SoundExchange @ Babel Festival (www.soundexchange.eu)

SOUNDS OF EUROPE is a field recording project initiated by Q-O2 (Brussels), CRiSAP (London), IRZU (Ljubljana) and Sons de Barcelona



SoundLab is prepared by Q-O2 in cooperation with Školská 28 and Asociace MLOK



http://www.soundsofeurope.eu

http://skolska28.cz



Funded with support from the European Commission