Ars Electronica Archive
Prix
Prix Map
Pictures
Videos
Publications
Special Projects
Women in Media Art
Prix
The Prix Ars Electronica Archive is a collection enabling search and viewing of all the submissions since 1987. The award-winning projects are documented with catalogue texts and audio-visual media. All other submissions can be searched by title/artist and displayed with year, category in list form. Please cite the credits (artwork name, artist and photographer) and only use the materials if your article is related to Ars Electronica.
Desibel
Torkil Sandsund,
Bjørn Kolbrek,
Geir Hjetland,
Wenche Wefring,
Maja S. K. Ratkje
Original: DM100319-Track01.wav | 0:09:36 | 97.0 MB
Original: 2009-09-18 10-25-17.JPG | 3008 * 2000px | 2.7 MB
Original: Desibel - Projektbild | 3264 * 2448px | 1.5 MB
Original: Desibel - Projektbild | 1280 * 960px | 1.7 MB
Original: Desibel - Projektbild | 1280 * 720px | 410.2 KB
“Desibel”—the World’s Largest Mobile Horn Loudspeaker Sound System
“Desibel” is a mobile sound-art project, commissioned by Vevringutstillinga in 2009 for the 30th anniversary of their annual exhibition. At its first performance, the loudspeaker horn pointed towards the mountain on the opposite side of the fjord. The sound echoed around the fjords—the whole landscape answered, it was heard in places far away!
“Desibel” is a protest against the plans of a major mining project in Vevring, a quiet village in the district of Sunnfjord. The concession is owned by Nordic Mining. The mining will cause 200,000,000 cubic meters of contaminated waste to be dumped every year into a valuable national salmon fjord. Only four percent of the mountain will be used in various commercial interests. The mining will go on for 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 30 years.
“Desibel” is a protest against the ruthless exploitation of natural resources and against short-term profit thinking.
“Desibel” is a ten-meter-long horn, sounding at frequencies between 15 Hz and 15 000 Hz and reaching 130 Db within ten meters.
Weight: 2 tonnes
Height: 3.6 meters
Length: 10 meters
It plays a ten-minute composition by Maja S. K. Ratkje based on frequency analysis of the horn, with the pitches chosen to give the horns a full volume range. The main sound source is trombone, a sound that one can associate with owing to its shape. The trombone is sampled and pitched into large chords, sometimes treated with noise effects, but most of the time as it is. The sound of seagulls is also present—an absurd, outsized response to the mining company’s promise that the mining work will only be as loud as the seagulls.
“Desibel” is a mobile sound-art project, commissioned by Vevringutstillinga in 2009 for the 30th anniversary of their annual exhibition. At its first performance, the loudspeaker horn pointed towards the mountain on the opposite side of the fjord. The sound echoed around the fjords—the whole landscape answered, it was heard in places far away!
“Desibel” is a protest against the plans of a major mining project in Vevring, a quiet village in the district of Sunnfjord. The concession is owned by Nordic Mining. The mining will cause 200,000,000 cubic meters of contaminated waste to be dumped every year into a valuable national salmon fjord. Only four percent of the mountain will be used in various commercial interests. The mining will go on for 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 30 years.
“Desibel” is a protest against the ruthless exploitation of natural resources and against short-term profit thinking.
“Desibel” is a ten-meter-long horn, sounding at frequencies between 15 Hz and 15 000 Hz and reaching 130 Db within ten meters.
Weight: 2 tonnes
Height: 3.6 meters
Length: 10 meters
It plays a ten-minute composition by Maja S. K. Ratkje based on frequency analysis of the horn, with the pitches chosen to give the horns a full volume range. The main sound source is trombone, a sound that one can associate with owing to its shape. The trombone is sampled and pitched into large chords, sometimes treated with noise effects, but most of the time as it is. The sound of seagulls is also present—an absurd, outsized response to the mining company’s promise that the mining work will only be as loud as the seagulls.
First idea: Wenche Wefring; composition: Maja S. K. Ratkje; sculpture: Geir Hjetland; sound engineering: Bjørn Kolbrek; production: Torkil Sandsund; technical advisor: Robin Stöckert / Soundscape studios; artistic inputs: Harald Fetveit; samples: Frode Haltli. Commissioned by: Vevringutstillinga 2010. Supported by: Norwegian Culture Council, KORO, Sogn og Fjordane Art museum.
Maja S. K. Ratkje (NO), composer and performer received an Award of Distinction in 2003 for the album “Voice”. http://www.ratkje.com.
Geir Hjetland (NO), artist, his large metal works are a result of being close to both the metal industry and the natural world of the west coast. http://www.geirhjetland.com.
Bjørn Kolbrek (NO) is studying for a master’s degree in acoustics, his main interest is horn loudspeaker systems.
Torkil Sandsund (NO) is a theater director and art producer.
Wenche Wefring (NO) lives in Vevring and works for Vevringutstillinga that commissioned “Desibel”.
Geir Hjetland (NO), artist, his large metal works are a result of being close to both the metal industry and the natural world of the west coast. http://www.geirhjetland.com.
Bjørn Kolbrek (NO) is studying for a master’s degree in acoustics, his main interest is horn loudspeaker systems.
Torkil Sandsund (NO) is a theater director and art producer.
Wenche Wefring (NO) lives in Vevring and works for Vevringutstillinga that commissioned “Desibel”.