The Sound of
MonoSpace Exchanging City Acoustics
http://monospace.org
October26–28Hamburg Urban life has a very wide range of sounds. It reaches from the slight humming of a well isolated flyover to the mind numbing noise of a highly frequented down town intersection. It features the pleasant song of birds in the park as well as the annoying shouting of a fighting couple in a back road. You
might not pay much attention to
these sounds. Nonetheless they highlight the character of a site. So it is well worth digging deeper into the unique soundscape of various urban spots.
MonoSpace Our workshop headquarter will be in our model MonoSpace “Große Bergstraße” – a (former vivid and frequented) 60s pedestrian-only shopping street.
This street is
located between two vivid disctricts:
• the Reeperbahn, a nightly entertainment district, and • Ottensen, a lively mixed use residential area with shops, cafés and pubs. During daytime the „Große Bergstraße” fills the gap. But
the vitality of
this space is reliant on business hours. In the evening when shops and offices close it changes
into an urban wasteland. So how could
this “underused” space be changed and improved?
MonoLab You will try to tackle the MonoSpace issue by approaching it on the acoustic level. So
let’s start listening!
You will go on an acoustic hunt through Hamburg, fully technically equipped: Find a space you like and record its sound. Eavesdrop several urban places, specific sounds and situations.
Can you catch the atmosphere on tape?
So what to do with all those sounds?
Imagine an urban situation as a symphony: what instruments make the difference, which instruments play loudly and which quietly, slowly or fast etc. Can you transfer it into different tones? Is it possible
to exchange the spaces while keeping one sound and how do different sounds change the effect of a space?
AcousticDraft Which is your favourite symphony to change this MonoSpace into a StereoSpace? Work,
play, try, expe-
riment with the different gathered sounds. Create an acoustic based draft. What visions and ideas derive from the sounds?
How would you transfer this sound based experience into a vision for our Monospace, so it will become a StereoSpace?
TheSchedule
Each day at Große Bergstraße 156 (Quartiersladen)
26.10.2007: MonoSpace
8:00 pm introduction (optional)
27.10.2007: MonoLab
10:00 am introduction to the sound hunt
12:00 am sound hunt
6:00 pm meeting back at the MonoSpace Headquarter
8:00 pm sound event at the headquarter and on Große Bergstraße
28.10.2007: AcousticDraft
10:00 am creative session based on the outcome of the MonoLab
4:00–6:00 pm presentation of the results and good bye
If you are not from Hamburg, you might find it inconvenient to attend the introduction on Friday. Don’t worry, it’s an optional event. If you have to catch a flight on Sunday, feel free to leave earlier. The main part of the workshop takes place on Saturday.
TheSmallPrint Expenses: The workshop is completely free. We will happily provide coffee, etc. But please note that you have to take care of food and accommodation yourself. Accomodation: If you are interested we can hook you up with a very low rate (66 € incl. breakfast) at 4-star hotel right in the city center.
Travel: If you come to Hamburg by plane you might save a lot of money if you choose a flight to Lübeck. From there a shuttle bus will take you to Hamburg (ca. 1 hour).