works
2019
Acts Of Attention (Traces) explores listening as an activity in relation to space. The installation presents uniform envelopes of seven archetypical elements of the Rietveld Building together with the artist’s own musical interpretation of their sonic origins. The sound piece (21’) is entirely produced from sounds derived from the process of tracing and those of the elements themselves. An interplay between manifestation and alienation allows for multiple perspectives on the work.
Acts Of Attention (Traces) aims to increase auditory sensitivity, to make aware that listening forms a highly important, yet often neglected part of our being in the world as sensory entities. In tracing architectural elements physically and sonically, Alexander Köppel developed a way of paying attention in which he concludes and initiates his multidisciplinary approach to the making and the perception of spaces. In the end, he points at the benefits and surprises of deliberately devoting attention to appearances previously unnoticed and hints towards imagined realities within listening.
In parallel to the installation, one is invited to find intriguing listening spots across the Rietveld Campus with the help of a small map. Specific floor tiles have been replaced, now showing a visual representation of the sonic effects present at each location. These marks aim to help discover the richness of the very sounds we are surrounded by every day.
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Photographs: Public Rietveld, Robert Glas