TIME-TONE PASSAGES  - a public radio installation in the Welckerpassage, Bonn
The radio installation "zeit-ton-passagen", realized next to the World Conference Center Bonn, is a journey into the world of languages and radio signals. The work is based on collaboration with the international broadcaster Deutsche Welle, who opened its radio archive to Maia Urstad, as part of her appointment as Bonn city sound artist 2017. A selection from the many different radio languages, voices and broadcast-specific sounds collected in the archive since the 1950s was compiled and transformed by Maia, and does now serve as the material of her 40-channel site-specific sound installation in the Welckerpassage. More info and images below.

Running time: From November 2017 till 1st October 2019, daily 10:00 – 20:00
Location: Welckerstrasse (Passage between GOP and WCCB) Bonn / Germany.

Time-Tone Passages was the main work by Maia Urstad as the selected sound artist of Bonn 2017
Commisioned by bonnhoeren / Beethoven Foundation Bonn
Curator: Carsten Seiffarth
Photo: Zimon Vogel

31 copper-colored loudspeakers arrayed along the length of the Welckerpassage tunnel in four rows invite guests to embark on a journey into the sound world of human languages – both those familiar and exotic. The composition explores the different melodies and rhythms that characterize the individual languages while also at times featuring clearly comprehensible announcements from diverse parts of the world. In addition, now and then technical radio signals resound from small open black loudspeakers affixed to the wall opposite the 31 loudspeakers. Finally, an additional drone-like compositional element that sonically reflects the changing mood at various hours of the day floats above it all.

German title: ZEIT-TON-PASSAGEN   
Norwegian title: TIDSKLANGPASSASJER
English: TIME-TONE-PASSAGES

Technical director: Markus Oppenländer
Technical sound work: Dirk Specht
Technical assistant: Richard Heßler, Dirk Ufermann
Sound archivist Deutsche Welle: Christian Spiecker
Special thanks to Anastassia Boutsko, Marion Haug-Mähren and Bernt Rössle at Deutsche Welle

More information: www.bonnhoeren.de

PRESS (selection):
- «In the flood of sounds», Deutsche Welle, review by Rick Fulker 30.11.2017 can be read HERE
- «Nicht abschalten, sondern zuhören», General Anzeiger newspaper is linked HERE
- «Stadtklanginstallation: zeit-ton-passagen» Medienwerksatatt Bonn, podcast by Erika Altenburg HERE
- «Stadt-Klangkunst in der Welckerpassage», review in Rheinische Anzeigenblaetter by Harald Weller  HERE
- lebeART / Cologne insight: «Die Beethovenstiftung Bonn beruft Maia Urstad zur stadtklangkünstlerin Bonn 2017» HERE
- Kunst Mag: «Maia Urstad zur stadtklangkünstlerin bonn 2017» HERE
- Deutsche Welle: «DW - Sprachen sind Klangkunst» HERE
- Neue Zeitschrift für Musik «Spurensuche im Äther» by:Sissel Lillebostad (print)
- MusikTexte 156 «Requiem für das alte Radio - Maia Urstad zeit-ton-passagen in Bonn» by Raoul Mörchen (print) HERE