Exhibition „Die Natur belauschen“ at Schloss Orth an der Donau (Au)
Zur toten Pappel (2024)
Immersive Soundscape Sculpture about the river landscapes of the Donau-Auen National Park
This intermedia installation is part of an ecoacoustic research that develops methods for artistic representations of the sonic health of protected ecosystems and anthropogenic impacts on their ecological communities. The condition of the “natural quiet” – the undisturbed state with all natural sounds – points to the wilderness character, and thus to the sonic health of a natural landscape.
High-resolution and multichannel sound recordings, as well as their playback, make it possible to show the acoustic characteristics of the wild meadows, flooded forests and shores throughout the seasons.
The diurnal and seasonal sonic dynamics of landscapes, and the complexity of acoustic communication of birds, insects, amphibians and mammals, including subterranean and aquatic organisms, are studied in relation to the sonic impact of humans. The sounds of trees, vegetation and weather conditions also provide crucial information about these protected environments.
In four audiovisual compositions (chapters l. – lV.), significant results, but also the fragility and uniqueness of these soundscapes are artistically presented. Each composition deals with a season and leads like a sound walk through the landscapes of the floodplains. The spectrograms shown are modified by ecoacoustic indicators and video shots of the habitats: The higher the biological activity and the lower the human presence, the more the colors change.
For the artist, “Zur toten Pappel” – „to the dead poplar“ symbolizes a mystical place in the floodplains. The voice of a landscape, which in a sense shows the state of health of a soundscape, can be seen as a clear response to human influences. When you listen to this voice, you also understand its universal language and can attend to its concerns and needs.
This installation was first published as part of the “die Natur belauschen” exhibition at the “Schloss Orth” National Park Visitor Center in “Orth an der Donau” (Au). The entire exhibition has been curated by Florian Puschmann and
coordinated by Joanna Stockhammer.
Chapter l. – Spring, May 2022
Chapter ll. – Summer, August 2022
Chapter lll. – Autumn, November 2022
Chapter lV. – January, May 2023