MEANWHILE IN SHANGHAI
A site-specific sound installation developing since 2011, created from collected radio clips that refer to concrete places and times: 23 Uhr in Deutschland, Cinco de la Manana en Madrid, Saint Johns 7:30 while 7:00 in Nova Scotia. These short clips are joined to form a composition together with recordings of other radiophonic sounds such as white noise, crackles and interference. The sound is distributed wirelessly via FM transmitters to multiple radios suspended on long strings from the ceiling. The polyphony of voices, tones, buzz and noise forms a backdrop for on-air specific explorations about time and place - a phonogram of a 24-hour cycle on the air. Image above is from Flandern festival 2011. (Sound sample and more text below)

"For some years now Urstad has been collecting radio clips that refer to concrete places and times; 23 Uhr in Deutschland, Cinco de la Manana en Madrid, Hilversum 16:00, Saint Johns 7:30 while 7:00 in Nova Scotia. In Meanwhile, in Shanghai... these short clips are joined to form a composition in the exhibition space and, together with local radio stations, white noise and interference are edited into an open form. Dozens of different radio sets, suspended on long strings from the ceiling, play a mix of recorded radio sounds in the exhibition space, broadcast through local FM-transmitters. An audio dynamic sound sculpture is the result, which the visitor can enter, and which reflects in a playful way on aspects of technical development and motion, on proximity and distance, and on globality, and how we relate to it. The idea of a universal time is questioned almost incidentally. Time, which is subjectively perceived, and the imagination of the visitors - Meanwhile, in Shanghai…- seem to play their own game with both time and space".   Carsten Seiffarth, Curator of Singuhr Hoergalleri, Berlin.

Radio is both time-based and simultaneous, proximal and distant. With the advent of digitally networked universal time, radio stations are no longer as central to the project of daily time-telling. Since this procject was started, these radio time-and-place-clips have become a passing feature in sound history, reminding us on the ephemerality of our constantly temporary technological development.

Materials: Portable radios, 3 FM-transmitters, multichannel media player, mounting hardware.

More information about the work can be found
HERE - from the exhibition at Singuhr Hörgalleri, Berlin
HERE- interview made by Harold Schellinx
HERE- a Resonance blog
HERE - about the Riga/SkanuMezs exhibition
HERE- exhibition at Lydgalleriet Bergen exhibition

This work was produced as part of the RESONANCE network, a European collaboration that focuses on the production, the presentation, the documentation and exchange of experience in the field of contemporary sound art'. Also supported by Bergen Kommune and Norwegian Arts Council.

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