SOLO / MUTE / PAN is a collaborative exhibition project that brings together for the first time Olga Kokcharova (*1985, CH/RU, Geneva) and Laurent Güdel (*1984, CH, Biel), two sound artists whose common ground is their work with listening and sound spatialization. Using various recording and amplification techniques, Olga and Laurent auscultated the Kunsthaus building during the hot summer 2022. Their respective approaches consider phonography (the writing of sound through microphones) not only as a documentation process, but also as a performative and musical act.
Using microphones, sensors and measuring devices, the two musicians recorded the electromagnetic radiation emanating from the lighting in the exhibition rooms, from control panels, security systems and the payment terminal. They also recorded the creaking of the parquet, the grumbling of the air conditioning and ventilation system, and the evening silence of the empty offices. The special acoustic of the Salle Poma was activated with the help of feedback techniques, horn loudspeakers, a small radio receiver and two pairs of shoes.
Olga and Laurent also practiced soundwalking, recording each other, without making too much noise, as they wandered through the bowels of the building and its immediate surroundings. For example, they crossed the building from the roof to the basement, where the art depository of the Kunsthaus collection is located, via the staircase of the emergency exit. Sometimes they met tenants of the studios, recalcitrant printing devices or Elmo the cat.
Olga and Laurent have developed a sound piece that extends over two floors of the old building. They have assembled the accumulated sound material into a composition that is played on an acousmonium (an orchestra of loudspeakers with different properties) and distributed through the Kunsthaus’s exhibition space. This setup of loudspeaker refers to the field of electroacoustic music while diverting it from its initial purpose.
Thus, the two artists operate in the intermediate space between musical composition and sound art. Their approach contradicts the very idea of museum architecture – which consists of a succession of exhibition spaces – by relying on the inherent property of sound not to care about walls. Here everything spills over, leaks and opens up. Each visitor is encouraged to build their own path through the sonic environment of the installation, to find their own rhythm, their own places to stop or their ideal listening position. These choices lead to a unique listening experience. Thus, each person becomes a co-creator of the sound composition.
Credits
Collaborator
Olga Kokcharova
Guests
Caroline Profanter, Annette Schmucki, crys cole Antoine Läng & Luc Müller Jean-Philippe Gross
Help
Fanny Courvoisier, Mathieu Winkler (scenography / external eyes), Thierry Simonot (sound engineer, external ear)
External ear
Thierry Simonot
Curator
Stefanie Gschwend
Mediation
Laura Weber, Joana Kunz
Installation
Paolo Merico & his team