Material Soundscapes is an interactive audiovisual installation of self-extracted clays and field recordings. The audience is invited to listen to the soundscapes of four site-specific clays from Gothenburg and the process they undergo to become a usable matter.
The places I visited for creating this work are located in greater Gothenburg, Sweden: Storgatan, Brännö, Delsjön and Nääs. Two construction sites and two landscapes.
Each place, material and time of day has their own inherent “voice” and unique soundscape. Thus, the four soundscapes were recorded at different times of day (in the morning, during the day and at night). Through engaging deeply with my environment I gain knowledge about its specific material and sound properties. The audience is invited to interact with the work: by touching the clay and metal handle simultaneously, the ambient soundscape is interrupted and a sound from the material process is played – digging-and preparing clay, clay soaking into water and sieving). The installation creates an environment of interaction that stimulates a dialogue between matter (clay), places and people. This work intends to create a feeling of material- and place identity through making clay able to be sensed in an acoustical, tactile and visual way.
