A long durational walk. A city symphony in 4 parts taking place in different spaces and times in Eindhoven.
As John Cage has insisted, "there is no such thing as silence. Something is always happening that makes a sound." Similarly, there is no such thing as an empty space. As long as the human body is actively listening and being heard, there is always the potential to create public spaces. The artistic research project “Cityphonic Walks” of Irini Kalogeropoulou that took place during the artistic residency at TAC investigates the phonē (the voice) of the city focusing on the invisible, silent, and unspoken aspects of everyday life.
How is the body heard in spaces of transit, in arenas of social interaction, in construction sites, in between countries and conflict zones were the fundamental questions to discover the sound of citizenship in Eindhoven’s city. The research project sought ways to expand the voice of the city through the concept of acoustic justice balancing between sound, silence, conflict and homemaking.
Walking, listening, field recordings, soundscape composition and the creation of verbal notation were the methods to uncover underlying power structures and social dynamics, which, while initially site-specific, ultimately reflect broader societal concerns.
In this way, the affective capacities of the soundscape and its ongoing role in shaping public spaces were brought to the surface, working towards strategies for a community-driven way of being together.
Cityphonic Walks, Artistic Residency at TAC, June 2024, Eindhoven, Netherlands | Photography by Ursa Prek
Performers/Yellow Vest Conductors: Mees Siderius, Rianne Wibers, Irini Kalogeropoulou
Verbal Score: Irini Kalogeropoulou
1st movement: "A sound, A table. Shoes. A Dog. A White Hunter. A Leave. Suppose An Eyes"
Sound creates relations between bodies, things and places that come to be understood as “home”. During the walk participants were guided through scores to explore the relational everyday activities and practices of walking, listening, and ambulatory sound-making while traversing urban residential areas.
2nd movement: "Metropolis of Eindhoven. Spatial Sound Platform"
Imagine how a city would be shaped if audibility were the fundamental condition for participation in public life. This walk involves collective listening in the square, a space that serves as a spatial sound platform, akin to an urban machine. The sounds in this second movement of the walk become narrative threads expressing both their political and poetic possibilities.
The artistic research project 'Cityphonic Walks' (soundwalk and solo exhibition) was carried out during Irini's Kalogeropoulou one-month artistic residency at the Temporary Art Center.
Conception - Design: Irini Kalogeropoulou
Performers: Mees Siderius, Rianne Wibers, Irini Kalogeropoulou
May - June 2024 | Eindhoven, Netherlands
