Audio topography: Auditive Reconstruction of Spaces
Esther Venrooy

Promotor: Mark Delaere
Co-promotor: Sven Sterken
In collaboration with Guy De Bièvre, Michael J. Schumacher, Raviv Ganchrow, Johan Vandermaelen and Hans Demeulenaere

“Our perception of space depends as much on what we hear as on what we see.” - Max Neuhaus

Sound artists treat sound as a phenomenon of nature and/or technology, with little or no reference to human emotion, interaction or representation thereof. The term sound art was coined by Canadian composer Dan Lander in the mid-1980s. It concerned works of art which have a predominant focus on sound, hearing and listening. According to Michael Schumacher, "Looking at a pair of speakers on a stage totally undermines appreciation of the work." Sound art should be exhibited, rather than performed. Sound art can be defined in three categories:
An installed sound environment that is defined by the space (and/or acoustic space) rather than time and can be exhibited as a visual artwork would be. A visual artwork that also has a sound-producing function, such as a sound sculpture. Sound by visual artists that serves as an extension of the artist's particular aesthetic, generally expressed in other media.(1)

In my research I will explore the auditory experience of space and the interaction between the auditory senses and the built environment. Aside from studying the works of composers such as Max Neuhaus, Bernhard Leitner, and Maryanne Amacher I would like to analyze the architectural and acoustic qualities of specific locations, which will then be reconstructed and transposed to new spaces. For example, this could be achieved by making several recordings in a specific space for instance a cellar and interpreting, reproducing and positioning its sounds elsewhere in the building. In this way I would endeavour to create a meta-architecture in which separate spaces are connected sonically. My main focus in this research project will be the creation of several site-specific sound art installations, in close collaboration with (acoustic) architects, visual artists and (sound) engineers.

(1) Licht, Alan (2007), “Sound Art – Beyond Music, Between categories”, Rizzoli, New York, pag. 16-17

Audio topography: Auditive Reconstruction of Spaces
Esther Venrooy

Promotor: Mark Delaere
Co-promotor: Sven Sterken
In collaboration with Guy De Bièvre, Michael J. Schumacher, Raviv Ganchrow, Johan Vandermaelen and Hans Demeulenaere

“Our perception of space depends as much on what we hear as on what we see.” - Max Neuhaus

Sound artists treat sound as a phenomenon of nature and/or technology, with little or no reference to human emotion, interaction or representation thereof. The term sound art was coined by Canadian composer Dan Lander in the mid-1980s. It concerned works of art which have a predominant focus on sound, hearing and listening. According to Michael Schumacher, "Looking at a pair of speakers on a stage totally undermines appreciation of the work." Sound art should be exhibited, rather than performed. Sound art can be defined in three categories:
An installed sound environment that is defined by the space (and/or acoustic space) rather than time and can be exhibited as a visual artwork would be. A visual artwork that also has a sound-producing function, such as a sound sculpture. Sound by visual artists that serves as an extension of the artist's particular aesthetic, generally expressed in other media.(1)

In my research I will explore the auditory experience of space and the interaction between the auditory senses and the built environment. Aside from studying the works of composers such as Max Neuhaus, Bernhard Leitner, and Maryanne Amacher I would like to analyze the architectural and acoustic qualities of specific locations, which will then be reconstructed and transposed to new spaces. For example, this could be achieved by making several recordings in a specific space for instance a cellar and interpreting, reproducing and positioning its sounds elsewhere in the building. In this way I would endeavour to create a meta-architecture in which separate spaces are connected sonically. My main focus in this research project will be the creation of several site-specific sound art installations, in close collaboration with (acoustic) architects, visual artists and (sound) engineers.

(1) Licht, Alan (2007), “Sound Art – Beyond Music, Between categories”, Rizzoli, New York, pag. 16-17