Sonic embassy at SEE Djerba
Sonic embassy at see djerba 2019
On August 23, 2019 we traveled to Houmt Souk, Tunisia for the media art festival SEE Djerba. Based on a concept and software by artist Romy Joya Kuldip Singh, we developed the installation SONIC EMBASSY.
The Mixed Realities theme of SEE Djerba 2019 inspired to share sonic notions of our home environment with the audience in Houmt Souk. Sounds were recorded in Dutch houses, in the streets of Leeuwarden, in the countryside and on the coast near the city.
On Djerba, these sound souvenirs from the Netherlands were mixed with objects from everyday Tunisian reality. Funduq Batista in the historic medina of Houmt Souk is a former departure room for expeditions to distant lands. It was a place for arrivals and departures, encounters, expectations and stories from faraway places.
During the SEE Djerba Festival, which took place from August 28 to September 1, the sounds of the guests from Friesland mixed and united with the objects of the Tunisian hosts, activated by the visitors. The more visitors came and interacted with the installation, the stronger and more complex the soundscape became. Languages and sounds brought in by visitors endlessly expanded the installation into a playful and fascinating multicultural environment.
: REVERB
While staying on Djerba, we invited the public to share their local sounds. These sounds traveled back to the Netherlands and were part of a second edition of the SONIC EMBASSY that was presented on November 30th as part of Fair Saturday 2019 in the city of Leeuwarden.
We also look for new cities and communities interested in exchanging notes, memories and stories through sounds. Maybe one of the following SONIC EMBASSIES opens in your hometown? Interested parties can contact mediaartfriesland@gmail.com.