Welcome to an international seminar dedicated to the exploration of sound in a scenographic perspective, organised by master students at The Norwegian Theatre Academy!

In the spring of 2024, master students at The Norwegian Theatre Academy will present three different seminars at Østfold International Theatre. This seminar is organized by the master students in scenography and explores sound in a scenographic perspective.

In the discursive event The Sound and The Silence, the master students in scenography – Lisa Birkenbach, Solveig Ylva Dagsdottir and Irina Komissarova – have curated and invited four artists from different European countries to explore and discuss the phenomena of sound through scenographic perspectives.

Sound and space

Scenography, all too often reduced to its visual side, deals a lot with acoustics, sounds and soundscapes of any kind, and plays an essential role in establishing various atmospheres and situations. But like its even less respected sister, smell, sound is underrated as a tool for creating and shaping spaces, the students argue.

In what ways can the complex relationships between space(s) and sound(s) be experienced and reflected on? How subtile can a sound be before it is not hearable anymore? In what concrete ways do sounds affect our sense of atmospheres? How do changes and transitions of acoustic signs change our perception of a space?  

To find exemplary answers to these questions, four guests have been invited from different fields of the arts. They will each hold a presentation on their artistic practice (on Friday afternoon, ending in a jam concert), as well as invite you to a short workshop or field exploration. 

The event is free and no ticket is needed, however, the field explorations/workshops are limited in spaces and you need to register to participate. See links below. 

The event is a cooporation between Norwegian Theatre Academy and Østfold International Theatre, and one of three seminars happening as part of this cooporation during spring 2024. 

PROGRAM 

Friday, February 16th 

13.30-15.30

Exercises in remote listening by Espen Sommer Eide
Field Exploration
Limited number of participants, sign up for participation

Espen Sommer Eide has in his practice as a sound artist over recent years, explored the possibilities of doing recordings over large distances, time horizons and range of frequencies, something less common in field recording of soundscapes. These methods challenge the limits of human hearing, and question our point of view as subjective listeners. In his contribution to this seminar he will introduce us to these methods of recording, and present the results of recordings done over a month in Fredrikstad in a collective listening exercise. An artificial intelligence model will be trained up based on the sound material collected in Fredrikstad, and will also join in the listening exercise.

The event takes place at ØIT and is universally accessible.
To participate, please register through this link:
>> https://nettskjema.no/a/386765

15.30 

Doors open
Coffee and soft beginning in foyer.  

16.00-19.15

Presentations

by Maja Osojnik, Espen Sommer Eide og Eugenijus Sabaliauskas & Paulius Kilbauskas

19.15-20.00

Snareoscope

by Eugenijus Sabaliauskas & Paulius Kilbauskas

Eugenijus Sabaliauskas & Paulius Kilbauskas’ upcoming scaled-down installation, called “Snareoscope”, at the seminar “The Sound and The Silence” promises to be another thought-provoking exploration of the relationship between space and sound. This time, the artists will incorporate drums into their light installation, further pushing the boundaries of sensory perception. By delving into questions about the impact of sound on our sense of atmosphere and the transformative power of acoustic signs, they aim to challenge our understanding of space and its connection to the auditory experience. 

 
Soup and drinks are served in the foyer. 

20.00-22.00

improvised jam

with the invited artists. NB! Strobe lights will be in use during the jam session.

23.00

Soft ending and soft drinks. 

Saturday, February 17th

Exposition #01.01, A Postcard to an Abandoned Home av Maja Osojnik

A sound installation for 9 speakers, composed for the forest in Meiernigg (the place where Mahler’s composing house is located) / A stereo version for Plečnik House Ljubljana (2023)

A forest. A place of transformation and change. A border area between this world and the hereafter. A lung. An elixir of life. A green house full of layers. A retreat. A silence that is not silent.  

“There’s no such thing as silence.”
John Cage 

When the first lockdown in Vienna was ordered in March 2020, a stillness settled over the city, as if the forest with its properties was spreading through the streets, over the blocks of houses. This silence offered the opportunity for self-reflection, for daydreaming. The hearing was given a sensual opportunity again. It didn’t have to constantly block out, filter, a background noise, but could perceive attentively, recognising that silence is needed to realise that there is no silence. When you no longer have to listen or think away, you can start listening. The city was linked to the forest. In Rauschenberg’s “White Painting” manner, the piece refers to the regained perception of stillness. It deals with the subtle changes in sound. Through shading, microscopic deviations, transitions, layers, alienation of the original, the piece draws attention to the essence of what is there, of what is on site. The composition is a kind of rotary knob, a diaphragm that brings changes into focus in a highly sensitive way, trying to readjust sharpness again and again to capture the environment, the sound nature of the place. A pas de deux between nature and cyborg nature.  

With the sound composition “Exposition #01” Maja Osojnik creates a musical translation of a sound map of this particular place. The composition overwrites, stretches, alienates and acoustically camouflages the local nature. The field sound recordings are manipulated, reduced, filtered and tonally changed in various ways. Musique Concrète Reverse – Blocks of nature sounds are replaced, interpreted by the sounds of musical instruments, are thus transposed into a musical language. By playing back the digitized parts, a new aural architecture is created on top of the natural soundscape. 

This event has two parts:  

10.00-13.00:  Part 1

13 participants are invited to join in a mini workshop about how to read and create graphical scores.  For this part, you are asked to bring something that creates a sound, anything from a musical instrument to something noisy.  

Place: Foyer area, Østfold Internasjonale Teater, universally accessible.

Limited number of participants! To register for part 1 follow the link:
>> https://nettskjema.no/a/387108

12.00-13.00: Part 2

This part of the workshop is about listening habits, improvisation and creation. The event takes additional 20 participants. 

Important information: The workshop takes place in the forest during February, so dress accordingly. Because it takes place in the forest, we cannot promise universal accessibility.

To register for part 2 (only people who hasn’t registered for part 1 already) follow the link:
>> https://nettskjema.no/a/387510

ARTISTS

Espen Sommer Eide 

Espen Sommer Eide is a composer and artist based in Oslo, Norway. His artistic practice involves time-based media with a special focus on music and sound, characterized by an experimental approach to instruments, archives, places and languages. In addition to installation and performances, he is a representative of experimental electronic music from Norway, growing out of the techno scene of Tromsø in the 90s, with main projects Alog and Phonophani, and a string of releases on the labels Rune Grammofon, Hubro, Sofa and others. Sommer Eide is also a member of the theatre/art collective Verdensteatret, with extensive international touring and exhibi­tions. His works have been exhibited and performed at Bergen Kunsthall, Bergen Assembly, Manifesta, Marres, Henie Onstad kunstsenter, Stedelijk Museum, De Halle Haarlem, Dark Ecology, Sonic Acts, Mutek festival, GRM/Presences Électronique, Performa Festival, Museo Reina Sofia and more.   

Maja Osojnik 

Born in Slovenia, Maja lives and works in Vienna, Austria, as a singer, composer, improvising electroacoustic musician, sound artist, producer, mostly using voice, paetzold bass recorders, field recordings, DJ-CDs, tapes and other lo-fi electronic devices, toys, trash and found objects. Maja made a name for herself in different musical fields, such as early music, contemporary, experimental, electronic, jazz, free improvisation, sound art and heavier music. Moving in limbo between analogue and digital art, virtual and real spaces, she tries to expand, deconstruct and reinterpret the tonal spectra of mentioned instruments and to assign them new roles – a process reminiscent of building anagrams.

In her Music she combines love for simple songs, experimental electro-acoustic, abstract music, early and contemporary classical music as well as elements and forms of noise and rock. She composes music for dance, theater, film, radio plays, sound installations and various ensembles and orchestras and writes lyrics, that she performs with her bands. 

Eugenijus Sabaliauskas & Paulius Kilbauskas

Eugenijus Sabaliauskas is a creative designer and lighting artist based in Vilnius, Lithuania. He has created innovative lighting designs for many theatre performances and collaborates with creators in theatre, fashion, dance, and other art fields. Paulius Kilbauskas is a producer, composer, and instrumentalist also based in Vilnius, Lithuania. He was a former member of a band that was once called one of the most influential and forward-thinking bands in Lithuania in the 1990s. Eugenijus and Paulius have been collaborating for over a decade, combining their expertise in lighting design and music composition to create unique and immersive experiences. Their collaboration showcases the limitless possibilities that arise when creative energies come together. The sound and light installations they have created have garnered attention and praise in Lithuania, captivating audiences with their unconventional approach. One of their most notable collaborations was “The Industrial Symphony,” a one-day performance held at the Peikko Lietuva factory in Kaunas. This four-movement audiovisual symphony was a testament to their creativity and ability to transform ordinary spaces into extraordinary realms. Visitors were transported into a world where man, steel, sound, and light converged, offering a truly unforgettable experience.