Dark Ecology

Sonic Acts Annual report 2014

1 / annual report 2014 introduction

2014 was a busy year for Sonic Acts. The year started with the presentation of the voluminous publication The Dark Universe and ended with finalising the next extensive book The Geologic Imagination. Highpoints of the year include the many screenings of Vertical Cinema – a project developed by Sonic Acts, including the commissioning of ten films, accompanied by a side-programme of lectures and workshops. All screenings were sold out, and on almost all occasions extra screenings had to be facilitated at the last moment due to huge demand.

In October the first edition ofDark Ecology with a programme of lectures, guided walks, presentations of commissioned works, workshops, and further activities took place in the border area of North Norway and North- West Russia. This three-year international research and commissioning programme is initiated, curated and produced by Sonic Acts in collaboration with partners in Norway and Russia.

In 2014 we conducted extensive research leading up to the 2015 Sonic Acts festival The Geologic Imagination. This included editing the book The Geologic Imagination, and interviewing artists and theorists. Many of these interviews were published in The Geologic Imagination or became part of the online Sonic Acts Research Series. Apart from this, we organised several smaller programmes, lectures and performances, and we commissioned new works that were shown at the Sonic Acts festival, at Dark Ecology, and at other international events, such as donaufestival.

It is also noteworthy that we facilitated the research of other artists and theorists, in particular by inviting them to take part in the Dark Ecology journey. Furthermore we started to explore the possibilities of setting up a festival in Vienna, Austria. All in all, Sonic Acts’ activities signify the organisation’s transition from a ‘festival-based’ organisation to a curating platform that commissions new work, researches, publishes, and organises international events. , Marijn de Jong Zone Cover: Detail of Grey

2 / annual report 2014 EVENTS 2014

internationally renowned experimental filmmakers Sonic Acts and audiovisual artists, is presented on 35 mm celluloid and projected vertically with a custom- built projector in vertical cinemascope. It is a Events in 2014 90-minute programme made solely for projection on a monumental vertical screen and features Bernhard Foing: Space Debris Lecture works by Tina Frank (AT), Björn Kämmerer (DE/ 18 January AT), Manuel Knapp (AT), Johann Lurf (AT), Joost De Balie Rekveld (NL), Rosa Menkman (NL), Billy Roisz (AT) & Dieter Kovačic (AT), Makino Takashi (JP) To celebrate the book launch of The Dark Universe & Telcosystems (NL), Esther Urlus (NL), (see below) Sonic Acts organised an afternoon on Martijn van Boven (NL) & Gert-Jan Prins (NL). space debris, in collaboration with Gonzo (circus) and ESA. Space debris, also known as space The programme was conceived by Sonic Acts at waste, has become a serious problem for space a moment when ‘vertical video’ was an issue the exploration. Scientists are working on solutions. world of mobile cinema (iphone movies). It was In his lecture Bernard Foing from the European controversial, especially with regard to ‘e-culture’ Space Agency focused on ESA’s research in as it uses celluloid at a moment when film had this field and the latest developments in space gone digital. But timely, or stubbornly untimely, exploration. Femke Herregraven presented the project received a lot of attention, and was her work-in-progress Staring into the Ice, widely discussed. Vertical Cinema had its Dutch commissioned by Sonic Acts/Dark Ecology. premiere with two sold-out screenings as part of the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The programme was considered to be one of the Vertical Cinema at IFFR highlights of the festival. The screenings were accompanied by a lecture by Erkki Huhtamo, concerts, and a workshop.

Erkki Huhtamo: Up and Down the Shaft of Time Vertical Cinema Lecture at IFFR 24 January Rotterdam

At the occasion of the international premiere of Vertical Cinema at IFFR 2014 in Rotterdam, Finnish Professor of media history at UCLA Erkki Huhtamo delivered an extensive lecture at IFFR on the history of vertical cinema, and its position in contemporary media culture, citing many thought- provoking and funny examples, from Eisenstein to vertical iPhone-movies. We interviewed Erkki Huhtamo, and published the interview as part of the Sonic Acts Research Series (see below).

Vertical Performance at Mind The Gap Nights 24 January WORM, Rotterdam

Vertical Cinema at IFFR. Photo: Pieter Kers As part of the Mind The Gap Nights at WORM Vertical Cinema Screenings (a collaboration with IFFR and Gonzo (Circus)) that International Film Festival Rotterdam focus on presenting innovative, experimental and 24 January adventurous audiovisual culture, Sonic Acts invited Arminius, Rotterdam COH & Tina Frank to show their new collaboration in which video images are generated from the In 2013 Sonic Acts commissioned, curated and sound output of the mixing board, in an entirely produced Vertical Cinema. This series of ten analogue transfer from sound to image. commissioned large-scale, site-specific works by

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Vertical Cinema Workshops Vertical Cinema: Four Expanded Lectures 23 & 24 January 20 February – 23 February Rotterdam Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Amsterdam

During IFFR Sonic Acts organised an intensive two-day Vertical Cinema Workshop. It consisted of an introduction to the Vertical Cinema project by its producers, and a masterclass led by Tina Frank focusing on the digital versus the analogue, as well as a one-day 16mm film workshop led by Esther Urlus. Urlus and Frank are both filmmakers who each made a new work for Vertical Cinema. The workshop attracted a good number of students, predominantly of the Piet Zwart Institute. The workshop was organised in collaboration with the Piet Zwart Institute and Filmwerkplaats WORM and took place at V2_ in Rotterdam.

Vertical Cinema at Stedelijk

Vertical Cinema Screenings 20 – 23 February Erika Balsom, Vertical Cinema Expanded Lecture at Stedelijk Museum Dan Flavin hall, 4 screenings Photo: Pieter Kers Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam A programme of four expanded lectures by international speakers focused on the history of vertical and other forms of expanded cinema and explored the future of audiovisual experiments. Each lecture was held on a different evening, giving the speaker ample time to unfold his/her thoughts and ideas. The four lectures preceded the screenings of Vertical Cinema at the Dan Flavin Hall of the Stedelijk. On 20 February Philippe-Alain Michaud, film curator at Centre Pompidou, focused on the tradition of experimental cinema, and demonstrated that film cannot be defined by the restricted point of view of the history of cinema. On 21 February art historian Noam M. Elcott showed many examples and identified three resonances of the vertical screen: as mere matter, as human form, and as divine presence. On 22 February film historianE rica Balsom explored analogue rejections of the horizontal frame and excavated the prehistory of the variable aspect ratios that confront film today. And on 23 February Bart Rutten, head of conservation at the Stedelijk, shared his remarks on the mainly abstract Vertical Cinema programme, Vertical Cinema at Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam Amsterdam. based on both his personal experiences in curating Photo: Pieter Kers film and video art, as well as the institutional Vertical Cinema was screened four times at context of Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. We the Dan Flavin hall of the Stedelijk Museum. All interviewed Erika Balsom, Noam Elcott and Bart screenings were sold out and had the visitors Rutten and published these interviews in the sitting on the monumental steps of the hall with context of the Sonic Acts Research Series. the screen hanging in the stairwell. The screenings were accompanied by a programme of lectures and workshops (see below).

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Parsec, Macular. Photo: Ed Jansen

Dick Raaijmaker’s Volta at Age of Wonder Festival 28 – 30 March Natlab, Eindhoven

Part of the Age of Wonder festival was the remake of Dick Raaijmaker’s performance Volta, which Sonic Acts co-produced. A giant battery was constructed, producing energy for exactly one light bulb.

Sonic Acts at donaufestival: Parsec and OFF – 3 Hz, 25 - 26 April, 30 April – 3 May Volta at Age of Wonder Festival. Photo: Pieter Kers Krems, Austria

Vertical Cinema Synchronator Workshop Sonic Acts presented two works as part of 21 February the donaufestival in Krems, Austria. Finnbogi STEIM, Amsterdam Petursson prepared his latest installation OFF – 3Hz for the Kapitelsaal in Klangraum Coinciding with the Vertical Cinema presentation Minoritenkirche. This site-specific work was at the Stedelijk we organised a Synchronator- realised in cooperation with Kontraste 2013 workshop at STEIM. The Synchronator converts and AIR – Artist in Residence Krems. It deals electronic audio signals into composite video with states of consciousness and brainwave signals. Designed by Bas van Koolwijk and Gert- frequencies in the transition between slow-wave Jan Prins in 2009, it has seen a steady growth in sleep/dream phases and awakening. Sonic Acts the number of users. Tina Frank’s filmColterrain also presented Macular’s work Parsec at the for Vertical Cinema was made with a Synchronator. donaufestival. The critically acclaimed installation During this workshop the participants were was deemed to be one of the highlights of introduced to the background, techniques and the festival. For this installation 16 ‘arms’ are use of this device for live improvisation and equipped with light and sound producing devices recordings. Each participant was invited to work that scatter abstract audiovisual patterns while with the Synchronator devices and television rotating. It plays with the sense of perception and monitors, and engaged in hands-on experiments. the effect is an intense, hypnotic experience. The instructors were Gert-Jan Prins, Bas van Koolwijk & Tina Frank.

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Anthony McCall Masterclass at Eye. Photo: Pieter Kers

An Afternoon and An Evening With Don Foresta He worked for Nam June Paik and collaborated 4 June, STEIM, Amsterdam for several years with a.o. Kit Galloway and Sherrie 5 June, ArtEZ, Arnhem Rabinowitz. In 1981 he organized his first online image exchange by telephone between the Centre for Advanced Visual Studies at MIT and the American Centre in Paris. We also conducted an interview with Don Foresta which was published on the Sonic Acts website as part of the Research Series.

Anthony McCall Masterclass 29 September 2014 EYE Film Institute, Amsterdam

In close collaboration with EYE Film Institute, Sonic Acts organised a masterclass with the American Don Foresta at Steim. Photo: Annette Wolfsberger artist Anthony McCall – in the framework of his large-scale solo exhibition at EYE in 2014. In collaboration with Artez, Sonic Acts invited The masterclass, which attracted more than 60 research artist and art theorist Don Foresta. He participants, provided a unique opportunity for gave a talk in Amsterdam on 4 June and a talk in professional artists, musicians, composers, film Arnhem on 5 June. Foresta’s talk in Amsterdam makers, academics and advanced students to gain was entitled Communication Space & Change in in-depth insight into McCall’s concepts, working Representation, and focussed on the collective process and methods. space made up of all the means of communication we have at our disposal. His public lecture at ArtEZ, Arnhem was entitled Reflections On The Now. Foresta has pioneered the use of new technologies as creative tools since the early 1970s.

6 / annual report 2014 EVENTS 2014 Dark Ecology

Exploring Kirkenes, Dark Ecology. Photo: Konstantin Guz

Timothy Morton: Human Thought Urban Wråkberg: Travelling the Borderland at Earth Magnitude 9 October 9 October Samfunnshuset Kirkenes, Norway Samfunnshuset Kirkenes, Norway During his presentation, researcher Urban This almost 2 hour keynote lecture – including Wråkberg addressed our understanding of an extensive discussion with the public – kicked geographical borders, borders of the mind, and off the first Dark Ecology event. The philosopher/ practices in crossing them, combining Maurice theorist Timothy Morton, author of amongst other Merleau-Ponty’s emphasis on the importance the much-discussed book Hyperobjects: Philosophy of the observing subject with Jean Baudrillard’s and Ecology after the End of the World, explained concept of hyperrealities and simulacra. The that when we scale up to Earth magnitude, very examples he used were from the Russian– interesting things happen to thinking. He stated Norwegian borderland. that thought at Earth magnitude is highly accurate and specific and reveals the structure of being Exploring Kirkenes of – for instance – a logical system, a solar ray, an 9 October electromagnetic shield, an aurora, an oil refinery. Kirkenes, Norway

It set the tone for the whole event to follow. Four curated walks explored various aspects of Afterwards we conducted an extensive interview Kirkenes, and how these are are connected to with Morton (see below), and have started a global issues. Local experts talked about the long-term collaboration with him that extends history and culture of Kirkenes, the economic and into 2015. geopolitical situation, the mine, the harbour, and the plant that processes iron ore. Different ways of exploring an area were practised. Participants were those who took part in the first Dark Ecology event.

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Exploring Nikel, Dark Ecology. Photo: Konstantin Guz

Secret Chamber I Exploring Nikel 9 October 10 October Hangar near Kirkenes town square Nikel, Russia Kirkenes, Norway The Russian town Nikel came into being because The firstSecret Chamber in the Dark Ecology of the nickel mines and the smelter, which programme (a Dark Ecology/Sonic Acts commission dominate the town. Various aspects of Nikel realised by Anya Kuts and Ivan Zoloto) featured and its history were explored during walks, with performances by Chikiss, one of the most versatile guidance from local experts. artists on the Russian electro-indie scene; slow ambient techno by Sergey Suokas; and a set by Signe Lidén: Krysning/пересечение /conflux Norway’s electronic master Andreas Nordenstam. 11 October AM/BAM Nikel: Garage 18-A-7 Oil, Cables, Indigeneity Nikel, Russia 10 October Nikel Culture Palace, Russia

Screening Krysning/пересечени /conflux. Photo: Konstantin Guz Staring into the Ice, Femke Herregraven Signe Lidén’s Dark Ecology commission, a video Geographer Berit Kristofferson drew two installation, was shown and performed three times perspectives from her PhD research ‘Drilling in Nikel. For this work Lidén ‘sound-measured’ the Oil into Arctic Minds’: How to understand the border-zone. oil industry’s and national approaches to oil exploitation as ‘opportunistic’ climate politics; and secondly, the ‘post-petroleum’ attitude apparent now on the Lofoten Islands. Anthropologist Britt Kramvig presented her research into the indigenous cultures of the Arctic. Femke Herregraven presented her ongoing research project Staring into the Ice.

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Dark Acoustics ⁄S⁄O⁄N⁄I⁄C⁄ ⁄Z⁄O⁄N⁄E⁄S⁄ 11 October 11 October Nikel Culture Palace, Russia Nikel Culture Palace, Russia

Anna Ceeh and Franz Pomassl presented their artistic research and book project ⁄S⁄O⁄N⁄I⁄C⁄ ⁄Z⁄O⁄N⁄E⁄S⁄ about electronic music and sonic cultures in Russia and the post-Soviet ‘terra incognita’. For this research, initiated in 2001, they travelled across all eleven time zones of the former Soviet Union. The book was published in Russian as well as English.

Secret Chamber II 11 October Nikel School no. 20 Nikel, Russia

BJ Nilsen & Karl Lemieux. Photo: Annette Wolfsberger

Espen Sommer Eide, Secret Chamber II, Dark Ecology. Dark Acoustics was the title of a session on sound Photo: Konstantin Guz art, sound research and sound ecology which gathered no less than 4 international sound The second Secret Chamber event of Dark artists at the forefront of contemporary sound Ecology took place in Nikel, and featured live art and field recording.Signe Lidén talked about performances by Tromsø’s Phonophani, Pomassl developing her commissoned work krysning/ from Vienna, Love Cult from Petrozavodsk, as пересечение /conflux. Espen Sommer Eide went well as a collaboration between Mnogoznaal deep into his work-in-progress Material Vision, and TILMIL from Komi (Russia) in their first ever Silent Reading, the building of a new instrument, live gig. The event took place at the gym of the and testing it on the remote Arctic Bear Island. school, and was truly amazing, especially for the BJ Nilsen was interviewed on his approach to Russian teenage audience who were exposed to field recording and his sound explorations of the the abrasive approach of Franz Pomassl. It further surroundings of Nikel for his commissioned work. brought to light the potential of the meeting Jana Winderen gave a fascinating overview of her between Russian underground musicians and recent sound work which present a reality that international avant-garde sound artists. would otherwise escape our attention and our sense of time.

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Raviv Ganchrow: Long Wave Synthesis Prototype Dark Ecology Academy with Franz Pomassl 12 October 13 & 14 October Høybuktmoen near Kirkenes, Norway Kirkenes, Norway

Long Wave Synthesis, Raviv Ganchrow. Photo: Konstantin Guz

Long Wave Synthesis, Raviv Ganchrow. Photo: Konstantin Guz Dark Ecology Academy. Franz Pomassl. Photo: Annette Wolfsberger

Long Wave Synthesis is Raviv Ganchrow’s Austrian sound artist Franz Pomassl led a two- commissioned piece for Dark Ecology. A first day intensive workshop as part of the first Dark prototype was publicly presented during Ecology event. Pomassl introduced his artistic Dark Ecology, accompanied by an elaborate approach on the first day, reflecting on the relation introduction by Ganchrow. The site-specific between sound, space, perception, physics, installation has since also been presented in and the body. The second day was hands-on, the context of Sonic Acts 2015: The Geologic and featured a range of site-specific sound Imagination in the harbour area of Amsterdam. experiments, as well as visits to locations in and around Kirkenes that are sonically relevant and The Expedition to the End of the World unique such as the harbour and the local fish Film Screening at Dark Ecology factory. This workshop was attended by aspiring, 13 October emerging and curious sound artists and musicians Kirkenes Cinema, Kirkenes, Norway as well as theorists, mainly from North West Russia and the larger Barents Region, and aimed Daniel Dencik’s feature filmThe Expedition to at spreading the knowledge and methods of the End of the World (2013) was shown as part contemporary sound artists amongst a larger of the Dark Ecology event. and developing community.

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Alvin Lucier Masterclass, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Photo: Pieter Kers

Alvin Lucier Masterclass 19 October Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam

Sonic Acts and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam organised a masterclass with the composer Alvin Lucier on 19 October. The workshop was part of the weekend-long Alvin Lucier Festival at the Stedelijk Museum that featured many performances of his work. The Lucier masterclass provided in-depth insights into Lucier’s working process and methods through a combination of Lucier’s lucid talking and discussion of his works, which were preceded by performances of the works. The masterclass focuses on the physical properties of sound itself: the resonance of spaces, phase interference between closely tuned pitches, and the transmission of sound through physical media. A large group of mainly young composers, sound artists, and musicians attended the masterclass during which they also discussed their own practice with Lucier.

Alvin Lucier Masterclass, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Photo: Pieter Kers

11 / annual report 2014 EVENTS 2014 A Day of Noise

A Day of Noise / Dutch Design Week 25 October TAC, Eindhoven

Circuit Bending Workshop The Dutch electronic musician, designer and circuit bending specialist Gijs Gieskes taught the fundamentals of circuit bending to a large group of art & design students. The workshop was part of the programme of A Day of Noise, and was organized in collaboration with ArtEZ, Arnhem. The Live performance Gijs Gieskes, A Day of Noise. Photo: Pieter Kers participants learned for instance how to add an oscillator to a low voltage device, like an old CD- player, cheap keyboard, torch or computer mouse, to transform it into a small instrument.

Lecture Remco van Bladel: Noise Design Graphic designer Remco van Bladel’s presentation drew analogies between contemporary graphic design and musical theories of the 20th century avant-garde.

Keynote lecture Hillel Schwartz: Noise In this extended keynote lecture, cultural historian talked about noise as a socio- Circuit Bending Workshop Gijs Gieskes, A Day of Noise. Photo: Pieter Kers Hillel Schwartz acoustic phenomenon: how noise is conditioned historically, politically, and aesthetically by relationships between people and by convergences in the trajectories of technology, art, and culture. He also touched on noise and time: how noise is experienced through time, and how noise affects our experience of time, which in turn affects our impression of the differences between the private and public spheres. Prior to his talk we interviewed Hillel Schwartz, and the video interview was published within the Sonic Acts Research Series.

Live Performances Gijs Gieskes & André Avelas A Day of Noise ended with live performances by noise masters and , and Keynote lecture Hillel Schwartz, A Day of Noise. Photo: Pieter Kers Gijs Gieskes André Avelãs the DJ Team of Orphax. Gijs Gieskes played his own electronic devices, André Avelãs performed his work Oscillators on band-saws, using old band-saws from his family’s sawmill to create low frequencies and resonating noise. A Day of Noise was organised in cooperation with ArtEZ Institute of the Arts.

Live performance André Avelās, A Day of Noise. Photo: Pieter Kers

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Vertical Cinema Screenings Anonymous Leeds International Film Festival 29 November 7 & 8 November Paradiso Noord, Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam Left Bank, Leeds

Anonymous. Photo: Pieter Kers

Vertical Cinema at Leeds International Film Festival. Photo: Barnaby Aldrick Vertical Cinema travelled to Leeds for its UK premiere at Left Bank in the context of the Leeds International Film Festival. Originally, Vertical Cinema was to be screened twice, but due to huge demand it was decided to add 2 more screenings. All 4 screenings sold out. Anonymous. Photo: Pieter Kers

In collaboration with Viral Radio, Sonic Acts returned to its roots for one night with Anonymous. No names were announced – but some of the leading electronic acts from the underground of adventurous dance music performed (among others Phoebe Kiddo, Laurel Halo, Logos, Blue Daisy and Kuedo). A custom-made stage- design, developed by Lyndsey Housden, played an important part in the audience’s experience of the night and ensured the anonymity of the artists. Also – anonymously – we presented a first instance of U-AV #2, a new audiovisual work by Joris Strijbos and Matthijs Munnik.

13 / annual report 2014 Commissions Commissions

Commissioning artists to make new work has evolved into one of the main elements of Sonic Acts’ activities. The works are produced by Sonic Acts, often in collaboration with partner organisations (for instance as part of Dark Ecology) and are subsequently presented, performed or exhibited at several events. Often there is an additional contextual programme Signe Lidén, Krysning/пересечени /conflux. Photo: Konstantin Guz connected to it. During 2014, Sonic Acts worked on several commissions – installations, visual walked across pastures, mountains as well as works, but also research-based projects. A number manmade landscapes, military zones, harbours, of these were presented in 2014. Below is a list mining areas and settlements, determining her of commissioned works we worked on in 2014. route by shooting an arrow. By applying this (Works commissioned in earlier years but which unorthodox research method – a bow and arrow were presented in 2014 are not listed here). with recording devices and a weather balloon with a camera, she explored the coincidental in the Raviv Ganchrow: Long Wave Synthesis ‘points of reference’ on which knowledge systems and worldviews are based. The resulting work is a performance of 30 minutes. The première took place in Nikel, BAM Garages, with 3 performances on Saturday 11 October. The work has since then toured internationally and was presented at a.o. Papa Gyros Night, Orkney Islands and Hong Kong, and Kalfarlien 18 in Bergen.

Robotic Arms, Crabs and Algos FemkeThe Geologic ImaginationHerregraven: Staring into the Ice 228 229

Raviv Ganchrow, Long Wave Synthesis. Photo: Konstantin Guz

Long Wave Synthesis is Raviv Ganchrow’s commissioned piece for Dark Ecology that probes relations between how we perceive the landscape and long-wave vibrations. It is conceived as a one- kilometre wide vibrant terrain to be experienced by way of peripatetic listening. Utilising a phased TheFemke All Infrared Line, photo,Herregraven, 2014. Barent Sea coastline in Teriberka Staring village. into the Ice. array of 8 custom-built very low frequency generators, the piece aims at creating a complex For her Dark Ecology commission, Staring into the topography of acoustic waves spreading out from Ice, Femke Herregraven examined the relations the array (in a range of 4 to 30 Hz) and covering between the financial world and global warming, approximately one square kilometre of vibrations. and how the melting Arctic ice now opens up A first version was presented at the first Dark new investment opportunities and trading routes Ecology event on 12 October 2014. A second for financial markets by making it possible to version of the installation was presented at Sonic lay submarine cables on the Arctic seabed. She Acts Festival 2015 in the harbour of Amsterdam. presented the work-in-progress on 18 January as part of the Space Debris programme, a second time Signe Lidén: krysning/пересечени /conflux at Friday Milk in Murmansk during her research residency (which also resulted in an online video For her Dark Ecology commission Norwegian interview), and a third time on 10 October during artist Signe Lidén ‘sound-measured’ the border- the first Dark Ecology Journey. A text about her zone in the area of Kirkenes and Nikel. She research is published in The Geologic Imagination.

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Marijn de Jong, Grey Zone.

Anya Kuts & Ivan Zoloto: Secret Chamber Тайная Комната (Tainaya Komnata) in Nikel and Kirkenes

Sonic Acts and Hilde Methi commissioned artists and musicians Anya Kuts and Ivan Zoloto from Petrozavodsk to curate two so-called Secret Chambers. Secret Chamber, in Russian Тайная (Tainaya Komnata), is the name used for the audiovisual events they curate in unexpected, ‘secret’ locations. The Secret Chambers are a never- ending experiment, and break with the concept of a ‘gig’ to challenge music lovers to appreciate sonic art. More than concerts, they are conceived as complete experiences. Previous Secret Chambers took place at an old courthouse, in attics, in living rooms of wooden cabins in forests, in industrial lofts, on desolate beaches, in public libraries and cinemas, at art galleries and independent venues and bars. The Secret Chamber in Kirkenes took place in a hangar, the one in Nikel took place at the gym of a primary school.

Marijn de Jong: Grey Zone Photographer Marijn de Jong was commissioned by Sonic Acts and Hilde Methi for Dark Ecology to provide a visual reflection on the border zone of

Kirkenes and Nikel. The resulting work Grey Zone is BJ Nilsen & Karl Lemieux, unearthed. Photo: Karl Lemieux published in The Geologic Imagination (2015).

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BJ Nilsen & Karl Lemieux, unearthed. Photo: Pieter Kers

BJ Nilsen / Karl Lemieux: unearthed Lucy Railton & Russell Haswell: Unknown Filmmaker Karl Lemieux and sound artist/ Unknown is a new work by cellist Lucy Railton and composer BJ Nilsen explored the surroundings Russell Haswell for which they perform sound of Nikel and Kirkenes for their Dark Ecology material made while they were on a residency in commission. The resulting soundwork unearthed the northerly environs of the Barents Region. The was released on USB in 2015 as part of The work premiered at the Borealis Festival in Bergen, Geologic Imagination. The full audiovisual work Norway, and was a commission of Borealis Festival premièred at the Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ as in collaboration with Sonic Acts / Dark Ecology in part of the Sonic Acts Festival in February 2015. collaboration with Landmark / Kunsthall Bergen.

Jana Winderen: Pasvikdalen Moreover, in 2014 we worked extensively on the Pasvikdalen is the result of the Sonic Acts / Dark development of new commissioned works that Ecology commission for Jana Winderen. She were presented in 2015 at the Sonic Acts Festival. recorded sound in the Pasvik Valley in Norway We commissioned A Script for Machine Synthesis and Russia (the Pasvik river is the border between by Florian Hecker – his third collaboration Russia and Norway), and composed a new with Reza Negarestani – which premiered at surround sound work from it, which premièred at the Stedelijk Museum, as well as Dolmen, a the Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ in 2015 as part of the new installation by the Mexican artist Mario de Sonic Acts Festival. Vega for the Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ – a co- production with the donaufestival in Austria. We also supported the production of U-AV #1 by Joris Strijbos and Matthijs Munnik, which was shown at the Anonymous-event.

16 / annual report 2014 Publications Publications & Research Series

Over the course of 2014 we published nine issues of the Sonic Acts Research Series: a series of online dossiers devoted to specific aspects of the research that Sonic Acts conducts for its activities. The issues contain interviews with featured artists and speakers, combined with annotated references to external online material, videos, and material from previous Sonic Acts events. Each dossier was announced in the newsletter. In addition to the work for the books and the Research Series, we produced several videos, video-interviews as well as shorter videos providing an overview of programme themes and the spheres of activities. On our Vimeo-channel and website we also give access to a growing number of videos from previous events, which constitute part of our archive. At the end of 2014 we sent the finished book The Geologic Imagination off to print. The book was available from 17th January 2015.

The Dark Universe, 2014 The Dark Universe features essays by Andrew Pickering, Michael Doser, Roger Malina, Keller The Geologic Imagination, book cover. Easterling, Simon Ings and many others. Each essay approaches the 2014 Sonic Acts festival theme from recently it was the deepest borehole of the world (12+ a different perspective. Extensive interviews with kilometres deep, drilled for geological research), now Saskia Sassen, Lebbeus Woods and artists like CM it is a ruin. von Hausswolff, HC Gilje, Matthijs Munnik and Gert- Jan Prins explore ‘the dark universe’ from yet other Sonic Acts Research Series #4 perspectives. Interspersed through the book are Text and podcast of Hillel Schwartz’ lecture for Sonic not only many illustrations, but also visual essays by Acts 2012 on noise and emergency. Bitcaves. The publication is available as printed book, ebook, and pdf. Sonic Acts Research Series #5 An interview with the film historianE rica Balsom on Sonic Acts Research Series #1 Vertical Cinema. The first issue of the Research Series was a dossier with a short, specially commissioned, SF-story by Sonic Acts Research Series #6 Omar Muñoz-Cremers and videos of Simon Ings, On the final day of the first Dark Ecology event Lucas Tim Maughan, Alastair Reynolds and Frank Swain, all van der Velden and Arie Altena interviewed Timothy associated to the ARC magazine (of New Scientist), Morton, author of amongst others The Ecological exploring various aspects of SF. Thought and Hyperobjects: Philosophy and Ecology after the End of the World, to discuss the impact and Sonic Acts Research Series #2 results of the Dark Ecology journey across Norway The second Research Series consisted of an and Russia. . interview with Erkki Huhtamo on Vertical Cinema and featured many links to historical forerunners of Sonic Acts Research Series #7 verticality in film. SF-author Tim Maughan interviewed speculative architect Liam Young who runs the Unknown Fields Sonic Acts Research Series #3 Division, ‘a nomadic design studio that ventures This edition contains an extensive dossier, and out on annual expeditions to the ends of the Earth an essay including an interview with Russian exploring unreal and forgotten landscapes, alien geophysicist Yuri Smirnov about the legendary terrains and obsolete ecologies’. Kola Superdeep Borehole near Zapolyarny. Until

17 / annual report 2014 Publications

Sonic Acts Research Series #8 visual contributions by Femke Herregraven, Mirna An interview with Kurt Hentschläger by Belina, Ellsworth & Kruse, the Center of Land Use expanded film expert Mirna Belina, focusing on Interpretation, Marijn de Jong, and BJ Nilsen & Karl Hentschläger’s most recent audiovisual installation Lemieux. The publication accompanies the Sonic Measure which reflects on nature filtered through Acts festival 2015. A major part of contributions is communication channels and media. connected to the Dark Ecology project that started in October 2014. The book is also accompanied by Sonic Acts Research Series #9 unearthed, a sound work by BJ Nilsen made during ‘On Noise, Emergency, and the Historian as a the Dark Ecology explorations of the border zone Poet’ is an hour-long in depth video interview between Kirkenes (Norway) and Nikel (Russia). The with cultural historian Hillel Schwartz and delves Geologic Imagination was published in January further into the subject of noise and emergency. 2015, but the work on it finished in December 2014. Interviewers were Arie Altena and Raviv Ganchrow.

Videos The Murmansk-based group Friday Milk were “Yet any qualms I had […] commissioned to make 4 video reports on Dark dissolved when I explored the Ecology. The first covered Dark Ecology Day 1, with creators, artists, researchers and musicians Sonic Acts book The Geologic meeting in the friendly town Kirkenes. The second Imagination. This fascinating covered the crossing of the border into Russia, an excursion in foggy Nikel, a visit to a fascinating tome represents an act of radical factory and presentations at the culture palace. imagination, an attempt to wrench The third featured a sound performance in a our thinking out of the same tired garage, eye-tracking of the Northern landscape and tuneful Secret Chamber in a school gym. And old tracks. There’s heft to the book, the fourth reported on Raviv Ganchrows’s sound and perhaps the juxtaposition of installation in the Norwegian tundra, Chikiss, and Love Cult. Friday Milk also made a video of Femke cutting edge content with solid, Herregraven being interviewed by Pavel Borisov sturdy precision in the object in Murmansk during her research residency. All reassures as well.” videos were published on the website of Dark Ecology, and the vimeo channel of Friday Milk. – Jeff VanderMeer

The Geologic Imagination, 2015 The Geologic Imagination is a richly illustrated “This valuable collection will soon and beautifully designed collection of essays, become one of the first essential visual contributions and interviews. Inspired go-to texts for artists and scholars by geosciences it zooms in on planet Earth. Fundamental to The Geologic Imagination is the who want to think about the idea that we live in a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene, global warming Anthropocene. Human activity has irreversibly changed the composition of the atmosphere, and ecological issues in general. the oceans, and even the Earth’s crust. Humanity A treasure trove of original has become a geological force. This challenges thoughts and creativity.” us to rethink our attachments to the world, and our concepts of nature, culture and ecology. – Timothy Morton With this book Sonic Acts examines how art and science map and document new insights, and how the changes and transformations that occur on a geological scale can become something humans can feel, touch, and experience. The Geologic Imagination features new essays by Timothy Morton, Douglas Kahn, Paul Bogard, Michael Welland, and Raviv Ganchrow; there are interviews with Dipesh Chakrabarty, Matthew Coolidge, Liam Young, Noortje Marres, Kodwo Eshun, Kurt Hentschläger, and Mario de Vega; and

18 / annual report 2014 COMMUNICATION, TEAM & FUNDERS Communication and SONIC ACTS team Publicity funders &

Sonic Acts published all the activities, commissions partners in 2014 and research series on its own websites (sonicacts. com, verticalcinema.org, darkecology.net), via the different social media channels and the newsletter Sonic Acts (nearly 2615 recipients). Sonic Acts has an active Curatorial Team online audience; the website sonicacts.com has Arie Altena, Nicky Assmann, Mirna Belina, Martijn had 10.020 unique visitors, verticalcinema.org had van Boven, Femke Herregraven, Gideon Kiers, 6.409 unique visitors and darkecology.net had 2.648 Lucas van der Velden and Annette Wolfsberger unique visitors. The Sonic Acts Facebook page grew to 5278 fans (+1036 likes in 2014) with posts Supporting Team reaching up to 12.000 people, Sonic Acts had nearly Production: Eve Dullaart, Julia Nüsslein, 3680 followers on Twitter (+1000 followers in 2014), Jorg Schellekens, Annette Wolfsberger approximately 333.422 views of Sonic Acts photos Communication & marketing: Sanne Lohof on Flickr (views in total up to now) and 8.500 plays (Paradiso), Floor Spapens (Paradiso) of the 88 videos on Vimeo in 2014. A Facebook page Editing & translation: Arie Altena, Mirna Belina, for Vertical Cinema was created in October 2014 and Liesbeth Koot, Mark Poysden, Rosa Menkman, grew to 149 fans in two and a half months, with posts and Valerie Schreurs reaching up to almost 11.000 people. A Facebook Design: Bitcaves page was also created for Dark Ecology (in July Web developer: Henrik van Leeuwen 2014) that grew to 878 fans, with posts reaching up (Gebroeders van Leeuwen) to 3.200 people. Interns: Marianne Eerenstein, Ismay Rentenaar

Announcements, reviews and interviews appeared Board in regional and national newspapers, weekly- and Pierre Ballings, Raymond van den Boogaard, monthly magazines, blogs and online magazines, Joost Rekveld, Gerard Walhof such as: The Independent, The Verge, Barents Observer, HP de Tijd, Trouw, Parool, Folia, Gonzo Partners (circus), DJ Broadcast, NRC, Subbacultcha, Sonic Acts activities were produced in association Metropolis M and Tubelight. with Paradiso Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, De Balie, Filmtechniek, Arminius, All promotional efforts were strengthened through a Tolhuistuin, OT301, Melkweg, STEIM, Muziekgebouw strong joint promotion with our partners, including aan ‘t IJ , EYE Film Instituut, International Film International Film Festival Rotterdam, Paradiso, Festival Rotterdam, Dutch Design Week, Piet Zwart Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Dutch Design Institute, ArtEZ, STEIM, Filmwerkplaats Rotterdam, Week, EYE Film Institute, Piet Zwart Institute, ArtEZ, WORM, donaufestival, Temporary Art Center Steim, Arctic Encounters, Fridaymilk, European Eindhoven, Leeds International Film Festival, Viral Space Agency, Österreichisches Filmmuseum, NÖ Radio, Borealis Festival. Festival, Kino GmbH, Gonzo (circus), Filmwerkplaats Rotterdam, WORM, donaufestival, Temporary Art Funders Center Eindhoven, Leeds International Film Festival, Sonic Acts is generously supported by Creative Viral Radio, Borealis Festival and Landmark / Industries Fund NL, City of Amsterdam and Paradiso. Kunsthall Bergen.

19 / annual report 2014 PARTNERS & NUMBERS

Dark Ecology Film Printing & Processing: Listo Film:Video:Effect Dark Ecology is a project by Sonic Acts – Gerhard Frank, Sabrina Appel, Herbert Fischer and Hilde Methi. Additional Film Printing & Processing: DeJonghe Film Postproduction – Aaike DeJonghe Team Sound Mastering: Tremens-Film Tonstudio – Curated by Arie Altena, Nicky Assmann, Bernard Maisch Mirna Belina, Martijn van Boven, Femke Herregraven, Gideon Kiers, Hilde Methi, Partners Lucas van der Velden, Annette Wolfsberger. Vertical Cinema is a Sonic Acts production Production: Roman Khoroshilov, Hilde Methi, in collaboration with Kontraste Festival, The Julia Nüsslein, Guro Vrålstad, Annette Wolfsberger Austrian Film Museum, Filmtechniek BV, Paradiso Communication: Ivan Afanasyev, Fridamilk, Amsterdam, European Space Agency, Sanne Lohof, Mark Poysden Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and International Design: Femke Herregraven / Bitcaves Film Festival Rotterdam. Website Development: De Gebroeders van Leeuwen Funders Vertical Cinema is generously funded by the Realised in collaboration with Arctic Encounters, Mondriaan Fund’s programme for commissioned Barents Travel, Full of Nothing, Fridaymilk, projects. Additional funding is provided by Filmklubben and Roman Khoroshilov. VSBfonds, the Netherlands Film Fund, the City of Amsterdam and the City of Rotterdam. The Dark Ecology is generously funded by BarentsKult, project is supported by NÖ Festival und Kino Public Art Norway (KORO), Arts Council Norway, GmbH, Paradiso Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Creative Industries Fund NL, Creative Europe Amsterdam and the International Film Festival Programme of the European Union, PNEK, Rotterdam. Mondriaan Fund and Finnmark County Municipality.

Dark Ecology is part of Changing Weathers - networked responses to geophysical, geopolitical and technological culture-shifts across Europe. SONIC ACTS 2014 IN It is initiated by the Arctic Perspective Initiative (API) and coordinated by Zavod Projekt Atol (SI) in NUMBERS partnership with Sonic Acts (NL), RIXC (LV), Finnish Society of Bioart (FI), Hilde Methi (NO), Time’s Up (AT) and Ljudmila (SI). Changing Weathers is co- Sonic Acts visitors: 3.110 (of which 2.145 for Vertical funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the Cinema related events & 463 for Dark Ecology European Union. related events) In addition: approximately 3.000 visitors for the Vertical Cinema Sonic Acts events at donaufestival (AT). Team Curated by Arie Altena, Nicky Assmann, Martijn van Sonic Acts Boven, Gideon Kiers, Lucas van der Velden Sonic Acts portal website: 10.020 unique visitors & Annette Wolfsberger Facebook page: 5.278 fans (+1.036 in 2014) and Producers: Gideon Kiers, Lucas van der Velden, with posts reaching up to 12.000 people Annette Wolfsberger Twitter: nearly 3.680 followers (+1.000 in 2014) Technical Producers: Erwin van ’t Hart, Johann Lurf Flickr: approximately 333.422 views in total Additional Production: The Austrian Film Museum – Newsletter: nearly 2.615 recipients (- 85 in 2014) Alejandro Bachmann Vimeo: 88 videos (+ 24 in 2014), 8.500 plays in 2014 Editor Cahier & Interviews: Mirna Belina Design: Bitcaves Vertical Cinema Web Development: Henrik van Leeuwen Vertical Cinema website: 6.409 unique visitors Communication: Eve Dullart, Julia Nüsslein Facebook page: 149 fans, with posts reaching up English Editing: Mark Poysden to almost 11.000 people Interview Transcription: Lubos Bisto Projection Development & Equipment: Dark Ecology Filmtechniek BV – Dick Moesker, Nico Komen Dark Ecology website: 2.648 unique visitors Colour Grading & Film Recording: The Austrian Facebook page: 878 fans, with posts reaching up Film Museum – Matteo Lepore, Adriana Noviello to 3.200 people.

20 / annual report 2014 Sonic Acts

Sonic Acts Weteringschans 6-8 1017 SG Amsterdam The Netherlands www.sonicacts.com www.verticalcinema.org www.darkecology.net

21 / annual report 2014