Can the wind of Aarhus be music?
The next two months you can experience the sound of Aarhus by Swiss sound artist Andres Bosshard’s three wind pillars, which is part of an interactive installation, activated by the clapping of passers-by. This will be in place on Europaplads, Aarhus over the next two months as part of the ‘SonicArk’ project under the European Capital of Culture Aarhus 2017. On Friday the 9 June 2017 from 14.00 you can experience the mumbling, whispering and singing of a number of choirs along Åboulevarden in Aarhus.
"Listen to Aarhus - what do you hear? Aarhus has a fantastic buzz and the people here are beautiful. Let's try to move the focus to the sounds around us - they can actually be music and a pleasure to listen to! The SonicArk project is just about these sounds, how we understand, interact and coexist with the city's sounds in all sorts of contexts - all in order to hear that we are part of the sound of Aarhus."
These are the words of Swiss sound artist Andres Bosshard, the man behind the project SonicArk - a project aimed at capturing the sounds of Aarhus. Earlier this year he won an international composer competition by the European Capital of Culture Aarhus 2017. Andres Bosshard mixes and edits SonicArk throughout the year, so the noises remain vibrant and relevant and focused on the sound of Aarhus - literally. The sounds in the three wind columns are composed of SonicArk's other projects around the city, amongst others: The Flying Orchestra, the Playground for the Ears of Blind People, the Queen's Laughter, the Factory of Memory and the actual Murmermar event on the 9th.
The Programme Director of Aarhus 2017, Juliana Engberg says:
"Andres Bosshard catches sounds. The sound of places, people and the buzzing sound of the city. He mixes the sounds of the murmuring crowds with the flowing river and the chiming of bells, so that they become the heartbeat of Aarhus. Bosshard is famous for his great compositions and he creates a living and uplifting symphony with his collaborators."
Andres Bosshard explains:
"SonicArk's three wind columns form a virtual wind turbine or an invisible tree of sounds. Air movements and currents across Europaplads will contribute to the vibrant movements of sound through a multi-channel setup. People can request a cocophonic piece of music on the spot. From 9-12 and 15-20 the wind pads listen to three claps that will start an acoustic dance over the heads of the listeners. "SonicArk's wind column will be active in the weekdays from 10 June to 4 August 2017 from 9-21. The event on the 9th of June takes place from around 14.00 am along the river Åen in Aarhus. Here, in addition to experiencing the "normal" sounds of the city, you can hear the Aarhusian choirs giving a murmuring, whispering and singing concert along the river. This all ends at Europaplads with the opening of the three wind columns at 15.00.”
The project is supported by Købmand Herman Sallings Fond and Pro Helvetia.
