Ephemeral Garden
Abstract
The Ephemeral Garden evokes the sense of convivial gatherings under a pergola. The murmur of conversation, complemented with the sound of animate matter. Growing plants, crackling wood, expanding rocks, crawling insects and the invisible signals emanating from all-pervasive electronic devices. Human and non-human voices intermingle. An ambience that is thick and alive, filled with liminal whispers otherwise unheard. Field recordings and synthetic sounds combine to create a continuously changing atmosphere. Beings come and go, the noise rises and subsides. The garden awakens with daylight, buzzes with activity throughout the day, then quietens at dusk. Its character adapting to the changing of seasons...
From An Ephemeral Garden
Full text
Recorded and composed in Istria during May 2018 by Maja Kuzmanović and Nik Gaffney.
This piece is part of FoAM’s sound installation presented at the Croatian pavilion of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2018. The exhibition “Cloud Pergola / The Architecture of Hospitality” was conceived as a collaborative site-specific environment, crossing the boundaries of architecture, art, engineering, robotic fabrication and computational models. In collaboration with Bruno Juričić, Alisa Andrašek, Vlatka Horvat and Branka Benčić.
Dedicated to Vera Miler. With thanks to Branka Benčić, Dorina Vlakančić, Marina Gaši, Danica and Goran Kuzmanović, as well as all the relatives, friends and passers by, the procession of birds, snakes, bushes, rocks and technological entities who (knowingly or unknowingly) participated in our field recordings.
Supported by the Croatian Ministry of Culture and the Panpsychic Development Fund.
