Soundmatter
Hydra, Argo-Saronic Gulf



Apartment in Pagrati
La Cigale Patisserie
Description
There is an old path connecting Hydra to Kaminia. It begins from the area of Hydroneta, goes up the hill next to the old Windmill, crosses a stone bridge, passes by the manor house of Bountouris, winds through the small settlement and just before the harbor of Kaminia it reconnects to the new seaside road. The path described above is gradually being abandoned due to the construction of the new seaside road. As traffic is now mainly directed to the new road, the old path is being taken over by nature, it is gradually becoming narrower, rougher and more adventurous. Its successive turns offer different views of the landscape and its ascents and descents contribute to the complexity of the walk. The presence of the local vegetation on the dirt track and in between the abandoned paved parts emits strong scents, and when the path crosses through the houses of the settlement the wanderer can hear the sounds coming from the open garden gates and the doorsteps found in the path. The installation is located in-between the two almost parallel roads. On the one hand, there is the direct access from A to B (new road), and, on the other hand, the promenade from A to B (old path). The different experiences and services provided by the two roads render them equally essential and important for the island. The new road remains as it is, offering a shortcut and a network of infrastructures (electricity, car access, etc.). The old path is a walk through the experiences of the island, connected to nature and to the settlement, asking for a surplus of time and senses on behalf of the walker. The installation aims to enhance the experiences offered by the old path. Initially, actual or potential sounds (soundmarks), connected to – literally – landmarks of the particular walk, are detected and recorded. Sound systems are used to record (or/and store) and play sound (in real time), enhancing and stimulating the experience of the walk. The purpose of this “augmentation” is not to attain the experience but rather to point out its integrity. The only “material” used in the installation at the old path is the sound, which is connected to the picture, the form, the nature and the landscape of the island. The sound - fields borrow the infrastructure network of the new road thus strengthening the relationship between them. Consequently, sound is the immaterial connection in-between the two roads, in-between physical and artificial, in-between experience and service and in-between two different time frames.

Design Team: | Agapi Proimou, Panayotis Malefakis |
Sound Design: | Nikos Sotiropoulos |
Status: | Study 2011 |