Sonoscopia

What does nature sound like for a tree?
What if each branch and each leaf were as many ears?
How does the wind sound like for a root?
How do we sound like for the bark?
And what if we could be that tree and listen to this sonic world?
Can the act of listening bring us closer to nature?

During the summer 2021, Cullberg and the artist collective Kultivator organised a festival called EXPLORATIONS OF NOW. 

In that context I had the opportunity to develop my own research. I turned my attention to sounds and soundscapes. With the help of Robin Jonsson, I developed a practice of listening that resulted in a sound installation/performance: Sonoscopia.

Sonoscopia is a multilayered project at the crossroad of music, field recording and meditation. It is a guided listening experience within the soundscape of nature where various technological enhancement allow us to connect with a world that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Bernie Krause tells us that “the soundscape is made up of three basic sources:

The Geophony: the non-biological sounds that occur in any given habitat (the sound of the wind, the waves at the ocean’s shore, the movement of the earth)

The Biophony: all of the sounds that is generated by organisms in a given habitat at one time and in one place.

And the Anthrophony: all the sounds generated by us humans”

During this process I connected microphones to different elements of the natural world such as a tree to observe and enhance the layers of this particular place’s soundscape. The technology allowed me to bring the sonic world closer to my ears and observe wide and deep the richness of the acoustic environment.
Once the auditory connection was established i invited Julietta Birkeland, who’s practice of “Tree Flow” allowed her to move freely among the branches. Her movements became part of the soundscape and introduced an interplay between the visual information of Julietta’s flow and the acoustic rendering captured in my headphones.

In Sonoscopia, I invite the audience to join me through this process and take them on an acoustic journey.

Credits:

Concept:
Camille Prieux

In collaboration with:
Robin Jonsson

And participation of:
Julietta Birkeland

Production: Cullberg, Kultivator, Explorations of Now Postkodstiftelsen.

This project was created in the frame of “Explorations of Now“

Premiered

2001 @ Explorations of Now in Orlången Nature reserve (SE)