Hidden patterns /2020/

 

It is an experimental audiovisual project that examines the sound environment of urban space.

I was interested to explore the presence of electromagnetic waves in our surroundings.

Everyday life is pervaded by artificially made electromagnetic radiation: food is heated in microwave ovens, television sets receive electromagnetic waves transmitted by broadcasting stations, infrared waves from heaters provide warmth.

Smart phones, light systems, surveillance cameras, computers and laptops, WIFI, public transport, neon light advertising – they all create electrical fields.

They are invisible but still present and change the perception of reality. Their sound range, tone and volume vary. I was in an art residency in Germany, for this work I traveled to the closest bigger city of Perleberg. I created a special technical set up to record simultaneously electromagnetic waves with a special antenna, make acoustic field recordings and film with my smartphone. Later I composed all three elements into one audiovisual work: an unusual portrait of the city. Filmed footage, zoomed in hundreds of times, becomes abstract and creates visual noise. It’s as if I look closely at the pixels of the city and see the details that are usually overlooked by citizens. I caught the hidden and unrecognizable sound of the city. The layer of acoustic recordings is more recognizable and evokes routine and familiar reality. With this work I reveal the less visible and audible urban patterns that underlie the urban landscape.