Tuned City Tallinn started with two workshop projects in the week 18.-22. may 2010, a series of artistic/scientific research projects in the following week and a first public project presentation on may 29th 2010.

Program details:

1. PUBLIC WORKSHOPS
week 17-22 may 2010

workshop I
Sonic Surveys of Tallinn

exploring, location hunting, mapping and field recording of urban soundscapes
May 18-22, 2010 // meeting place: uue maailma seltsimaja, corner of Koidu and Videviku streets, Tallinn

workshop led by: John Grzinich, Derek Holzer, Patrick McGinley
registration: jg[ät]maaheli.ee

This interdisciplinary workshop (of artists, architects, urban planners, social geographers) concentrates on exploring working methods for mapping and documenting urban spaces and architectural structures of the city of Tallinn. The methods used will combine research and practical skills in surveying and recording the “sonic geographies” found throughout the city. As Tallinn has radically different zones, both architecturally and socially  our research aims to reflect expose and reflect the variety of soundscapes to be found there.

This would include the practical elements of an overall “field recording” and “listening” workshop with an introduction to sound, soundscape and field recording techniques. The structure of the workshop divides the overall group of participants into several small scouting teams (3 groups of 4 or 5 people) that make excursions to different districts of the city. A range of locations could include the Soviet ‘plattenbau’ districts like Lasnamäe and Õismäe, the park areas of Kadriorg and Nõmme and the seaside districts of Pirita and Kopli (or whatever else can be introduced) for example.

Mapping the possible overlays of sonic regions or even specific sounds will help define potential “sonic landmarks”, as one of the main themes for the Tuned City conference to be held in July of 2011. Afterward we can pool the coordinates and recordings into a “map” or Survey of Acoustic Geography of Tallinn.

You can find some fotos on this project-page: http://maaheli.ee/main/archives/1479

Workshop II
Form and Sound
with students of the EKA, the Conservatory and students from Kuvataiteakatemia Helsinki and KUNO
May 18-22, 2010

workshop led by: Lukas Kühne

The idea is to carry out a multidisciplinary laboratory building bridges amongst the different arts and genders. The proposal of this idea is interactive, an adventure that has to do with phenomena of natural laws and the ultimate technology. Sound does not exist without material support: it requires sources in space in order to have some kind of form and it needs ears in order to be heard. Sound depends on the material and the form of sound sources. This workshop explores the relationship between the form that creates sound and the sounds that create form.

This workshop project is meant to create artistic and scientific explorations of the unique acoustic situation of the old waterplane hangar and to find ways to preserve lively and illustrative
documentations of an outstanding spatial experience. The hangar will be changed  into a maritim museum, this development process causes a certain responsibility for the monument. A scientific analysis of the given frequencies and wavelength, the characteristics of the reverberation and diffusion in the space of the 3 domes and an investigation of the direct and related phenomena should provide a profound explanation. In close collaboration an artistic reflection should interpret, force – translate and visualize this unique sonotop.

(The artistic reflection could be build arround the topic of the echo, starting with the cultural history, the mythological background – the story about the nymph ‘echo’ and ‘narcissus’ as an explanation model of the dispartment of the acoustic and the visual world. Going over to a natural scientific and musically artistic exploration with the above mentioned research project, guided tours through the architecture and artistic performances. And ending with a metaphorical and poetic view on the topic of reflection. (as reaction on causation, repetition, return of history, echos from beyond …)

here you can find a little video from the workshop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7ft-I-3-A0

2. ARTISTIC/SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROJEKTS

In the week 24-28 of may 2010 the artists Raviv Ganchrow (NL), Thomas Ankersmit (D) and Anthony Hall (UK) will explore the old hydroplane hangar.

3. PUBLIC PRESENTATION

May 29 2010
Steamboat Icebreaker “SUUR TÕLL” and Seaplane Hangar – Lennusadama port, (Küti Street) Tallinn
>>> see map

The first public event introducing the “sonic landmarks tallinn” project in 2011 took place around the seaplane hangar as it serves as a great example for the deep relation of architecture and sound and would illustrate in a nice way the main idea of tuned city – to make the acoustic dimension of space and architecture perceptible.

One lasting impression from the Berlin event was of the specific acoustic qualities which each of the spaces used for the conference and performances possessed – whether it was a room designed from the acoustic perspective (such as the anechoic chamber at the Technical University or the giant radio concert hall at the Nalepastrasse), an improvised situation (such as the disused repair hall of the Wriezener Bahnhof) or a temporary public situation (such as on Alexanderplatz). These acoustic qualities provided each site which a specific identity which defined that location in space, assisted or inhibited communication and changed one‘s awareness of their surroundings and illustrated in a great way the debated topics very plastically.

In the same way as tuned city explores the different topics in direct relation to the actual spaces this pre-event in the hangar will give a taste of how the Tallinn event in 2011 will shape. In a mixture of theory, artistic presentation and direct experience we will present the results of the artistic/scientific research and documentation project as well as the results of the workshops to the audience. Some lectures will introduce the concepts of aural architecture and acoustic awareness.

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PROGRAM:

start 3pm at Steamboat Icebreaker “SUUR TÕLL” – Lennusadama port, (Küti Street) Tallinn

Opening and welcome – Mikko Fritze, Director of Tallinn 2011, European Cultural Capital

Introduction to the Estonian Maritime Museum project – Ott Sarapuu (EE) (enquired)
History of the seaplane hangar, future plans and architectural vision.

Sonic Landmarks – tunedcity in Tallinn 2011 – Tunedcity research group (int)
A preview of  the program for Tallinn 2011 introducing the general idea behind tunedcity, the research network, the artist and projects planed for the european capital project Sonic Landmarks.

Sonic garden in the urban sphere – Valeria Merlini (I)
lecture: Acoustics aspects of landscape architecture

Bent on Listening – Raviv Ganchrow (US/IL/NL)
lecture: From the reflecting-arc diagrams of Marin Mersenne to the concave walls of acoustic defense

Spatial perception and directional sound – Thomas Ankersmit (NL/D)
lecture: Spatial acoustics and their influence on our perception and communication

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presentations by artist involved in the planing for 2011 at seaplane hangar, Lennusadama port, (Küti Street) Tallinn:

Raviv Ganchrow (US/IL/NL)
intallation/demonstration: Crescents

Thomas Ankersmit (NL/D)
site-specific performance inside the hydroplane hangar

Antony Hall (UK)
presentation

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presentation of the workshop results:

Sonic Surveys of Tallinn
Workshop with MoKS (EE) – location hunting, mapping and field recording of urban soundscapes
– short performances and soundwalks

Form and Sound
Workshop by Lukas Kühne (D) together with The Estonian academy of arts EKA, The Finnish Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki and KUNO
– performances, demonstarations, soundwalks

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you can download the flyer here >>>