“Spazierklänge” translated something like “Sounds of Walking” is an ongoing Recherché and Essay-Writing Project together with Philosopher Volker Kühl. It evolved in the Covid Lockdowns in April 2020.
It started with long walks through the green areas and city forests of Cologne. By that time only two people were allowed to meet up at once. These long walks became expeditions of the changing sound sphere & environment. The reduced traffic-, work- and factory noises - the reduced amount of any kind of pollution became like a starting point for our Walk Investigations. Every week we went to different parts of Cologne - in the beginning mostly to the green areas - later also to the urban “brutalist” concrete neighborhoods like Chorweiler.
We used the politically ordered silence as a reflection surface and backdrop. So we noticed that our own sounds - walking, speaking, breathing in lockdown - were now much more present and tangible. Listening and artistic acting intensified.
These Walks consisted of playing with the environment - being playful with it and producing sound within a sound environment. A crucial aspect of these walks is a Moment of Reflection and sometimes long conversations, on how we would like society to be. The walks were the starting point for analyzing the Status Quo and then creating a “Utopia Space”.
From the contemplative, expansive, and investigative form of walking, associatively and systematically developed texts or sounds have emerged that reflect social contexts. The pandemic served as a plateau with the decisions made on various lockdowns, while the occupation does not end with it, but continues to have an effect and is being further developed.
In July 2020 I left Germany for the “Path-Finding Travel” Project. In August Volker also left Cologne for Spain and is living there now. Spazierklänge is continuing - we foster it in dialogues and the exchange of texts concerning our initial walks and discussions.
Eventually, the essays will be published.
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