Soundscape

“Behold the new orchestra: the sonic universe! And the musicians: anyone and anything that sounds!”
R. Murray Schafer, The Soundscape: Our Sonic Environment and the Tuning of the World
"With these words, Canadian musician R. Murray Schafer introduced the concept of Soundscapes. In his contemplation, Soundscapes encompass not only the entirety of sounds one can experience in the world, (both natural and technological) but also a distinct selection chosen for specific relationships with the surrounding elements.
It is an entity that "changes over time and in different places, is different in seasons and at different times of the day," closely linked to the definition of Sound Identity (ISO). Coined by the Argentine musician, doctor, and psychiatrist Rolando Benenzon, Sound Identity corresponds to a musical DNA that uniquely characterizes every human being; a genetic code composed of sounds and silences in which the individual is immersed from birth. Soundscapes thus interact, modify, and mark not only the (sonic) identities of individuals but also of the community: becoming, in this way, an integral part of the sonic memory of a community.
The present curatorial proposal takes shape It in this both collective and individual perspective, summarized in the expression that gives the title to the exhibition: Sound Imprint. According to Schafer, Sound Imprint represents that sound, unique and inherently characteristic of an area, a territory ("sound imprints make the acoustic life of a community unique"). In a Sound Imprint, a group of individuals can recognize and rediscover themselves both as individuals and as part of a whole, provided they are willing to pay attention to the auditory stimuli generated by this dialogue.
In four ideal sections, there are works where the surrounding territory (self)defines itself through sounds, in a vein associated with the experimentation of John Cage (Preaching avant-garde the Commuter – Joanna Malinowska; Monologue – Michele Spanghero; Higgs Ocean #10 – Andrea Galvani; 60 minuti – Ilenia Dusi). Others prominently feature the idea of chronotype as an indissoluble combination of temporal and spatial dimensions to characterize, even politically, a place (Dry Land – Adrian Melis; Vox Populi – Andrea Aversa; Ritmo Urbano - Jiying Liu). Some works illustrate how sound identity can manifest in a structured composition like a musical one (Autoritratto modenese and Top. vol 100 – Davide Bertocchi). Finally, there are works where it is prevalent the reversal of our expectations regarding musical instruments, sculptures, and human physiological functions (The Bell of Silence and Box for crying Place – Eric Andersen; Noise and ABCDEFG by Jacopo Mazzonelli; Il suono della pioggia quando cade in un unico punto – Serena Vestrucci; 5'per indurre un’assenza - Pamela Diamante; Ratio 3 - Michele Spanghero).
In a historical moment of image hyper-production, where the sense of sight seems to overwhelmingly dominate the others, this project (accepting the challenge imposed by the digital medium) aims to stimulate reflection on the profound knowledge possibilities that active listening to the music of ourselves and the environment can offer.

exhibition curated by: Lucia Cavallo e Gabriella Esposito