Betwixt and Between

Max Spielmann

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we, in our role as lecturers, conducted hybrid workshops with design and art students from ten partner institutions on five continents. Our goal was to explore soundscapes from different viewpoints, and we were deeply impressed by the outcome. The recordings and their accompanying images and conversations dissolved geographical borders along with social, cultural, and structural differences. Following Hartmut Rosa, we understand this atmosphere of connection produced between the participants and the soundscapes themselves to be a resonance space, which only became explicit to us after some time had passed. In this article, we re-interpret this space through personal recollections and theoretical positions, and claim that such a collaboration holds pedagogical and artistic implications for future teaching and creative practice. These include not only the impact upon technology in the classroom, temporal perception, inter-relationality, and care practices, but also the artistic benefits of opening up spaces of resonance as a means of engaging with the challenge of intercultural communication and witnessing in our global world.

Credits

We would like to thank all the participants and partner organizations who spontaneously joined our exploratory project during the first COVID-19 lockdown and Lindsay Parkhowell for translation and editing.

Participants

Adam Siagas, Alexis Pilon, Alma Rau, Amardeep Kaur Shergill, Amanda Stuart, Anastasia Panagou, Anja Salzmann, Archie Reid, Ayuna Kawamoto, Azura Silberschmidt, Barbara Neubarth, Basil Huwyler, Beatrice Tucker, bittelangsam (Andrea Zülle, Heiko Schätzle) Carlotta Thomas, Celia Moosbrugger, Christos Savvidis, Clare Fleming, Daniel Fabry, Dieneke Jansen, Dierdre Pearce, Elisabeth Hacker, Emilie Mouchous, Etienne Colpron-Turbide, Fiona Amundsen, Frances Simmons, Giorgos Klountzos-Chrysidis, Georges Roussel, Hildur Dagbjört Arnardóttir, Jari Rinne, Jennifer Sayasinh, Jonas Fries, Jonas Sidler, Jörg Bühler, José Fajardo, Julia Siegrist, Kagiso Brendon Petros, Laura Fonti, Liam Wells, Lydia Chatziiakovou, Maria Kyrou, Maree Sheehan, Matthias Kokorsch, Maude Chartier-Desjardins, Michael Nadler, Minori Suzuki, Miri Surugaya, Moeka Takeuchi, Mone Matsushima, Natasa Panagou, Omphile Percy Jonas, Orhan Kipcak, Pia van Gelder, Petja Tuisku, Philippe-Aubert Gauthier, Rachel Shearer, Richie Moalosi, Roger Magole, Rory Gillen, Ryoko Nakayama, Sabrina Doser, Sebastian Gebhardt, Shelley Simpson, Silia Aletti, Sophie Garnier, Sophie Sutherland, Soraya Hug, Susan Turcot, Sylvie Bouteiller, Tatiana Tavares, Teemu Haapaniemi, Thomas Hofstetter, Tomi Knuutila, Valerie Klinger, Vasilis Ioakeimidis, Vicky Birou, Yuka Ono

Rights

All copyrights for images, audio and text are held by the respective authors. The use of sound files is subject to a Creative Commons CC BY-NC license.

Partner Institutions

Australia, Canberra, Australian National University, School of Art & Design
Austria, Graz, FH Joanneum, Sound Design
Botswana, Gaborone, University of Botswana, Industrial Design and Technology
Canada, Montréal, Université du Québec, École des arts visuels et médiatiques
Greece, Thessaloniki, ArtBox
New Zealand, Auckland, AUT Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies
Finland, Rovaniemi, Lapin Yliopisto, University of Lapland
Island, Isafjördur, University of Akureyri, University Centre of the Westfjords
Japan, Niigata, Nagaoka Institute of Design

References

Tip

Tip