AN AUDIO POEM
Voice of the River
by Katya Kalyuzhnaya, Outi Inkeri Rossi, Max Sergeev
We see it as an audio poem, an invocation, a ritual of the River awakening. The communication with Water is private, intimate and fragile but powerful at the same. The River is waking up from sleep, it's coming to life and starts breathing openly.
It flows and brings life. It's a silent celebration, a muted hymn.
It flows and brings life. It's a silent celebration, a muted hymn.
IT STARTS WITH SOUNDS OF EARLY SPRING, THE THAW.
IT'S GETTING WARMER, THE SNOW IS MELTING.
BUT THE RIVER IS STILL LOCKED UNDER THE ICE AS WE SAW IT IN BEREZNIK VILLAGE IN THE NORTH HEART OF RUSSIA. WE USE AN A HUMAN VOICE TO COMMUNICATE WITH WATER AND PRAISE FOR WHAT IT IS - A NATURAL MEDIUM, A MIGHTY FORCE THAT CONNECTS WORLDS.
IT'S GETTING WARMER, THE SNOW IS MELTING.
BUT THE RIVER IS STILL LOCKED UNDER THE ICE AS WE SAW IT IN BEREZNIK VILLAGE IN THE NORTH HEART OF RUSSIA. WE USE AN A HUMAN VOICE TO COMMUNICATE WITH WATER AND PRAISE FOR WHAT IT IS - A NATURAL MEDIUM, A MIGHTY FORCE THAT CONNECTS WORLDS.
This piece is a collaboration project that originated within the "We are Here" Creative Laboratory's trip to Bereznik (Russia, Arkhangelsk district) in March 2019. A group of artists, performers and musicians united around a river theme and set up what was called a "Water laboratory". We started experimenting with sounds of water in all its variety and built an audible installation with melting snow on the tube.
Kaikki oli kuollutta liikkumatonta kun kolme harakkaa lennähti joen varteen niiden valkoiset siipisulat välähtelivät auringossa vedessä ja vesi alkoi virrata puiden latvukset liikahdella hiiret alkoivat haistella tammenterhoja vesiperhoset kiertää kehää virran yläpuolella saukko solahti veteen aurinko nousi ja laski tähdet syttyivät ja sammuivat ihmiset hengittivät, syntyivät ja kuolivat pilvet liikkuivat maapallon ympärillä sade valui niistä jokiin ja joista meriin jossa valaat huutelivat toisilleen merivirtojen karttapoluista
words by Outi Rossi
Everything was dead and stayed still when three magpies flew to the river the white feathers of their wings were shining in the sun on the surface of the water and the water started to move the crowns of the trees started to slightly move mice started to sniff for acorns caddisflies started to circle above the water an utter dived into the water the sun went up and down the stars shone and went out people were breathing, being born and dying the clouds wandered around the Earth the rain poured from them into rivers and ran from there to the seas where whales were shouting to each other about the path maps of ocean currents
Voice of the River
The work continued afterward in Moscow and Helsinki.
We exchanged files and ideas, sending them back and forth.
This is the first realization of our river-themed project.
We exchanged files and ideas, sending them back and forth.
This is the first realization of our river-themed project.
We are hoping to continue this work and expand it in various directions (including eco-activism, for example).
We invite people with different experience to join the project dedicated to rivers all over the world and share recordings, stories, body practices and traditional rituals of communication with rivers to make their voices audible.
You can hear some rivers in our map already and you are welcome to add yours.
We will be glad to use your material with your permission in order to create a long soundscape.
We invite people with different experience to join the project dedicated to rivers all over the world and share recordings, stories, body practices and traditional rituals of communication with rivers to make their voices audible.
You can hear some rivers in our map already and you are welcome to add yours.
We will be glad to use your material with your permission in order to create a long soundscape.
Who we are
- Outi Inkeri Rossipoetry, water manipulation, field recordings, kantele, inspirationHelsinki-based playwright, scriptwriter and performance artist. Studies phytotherapy, does wall climbing, radio features, and beekeeping.
- Katya Kalyuzhnayachanting, water manipulation, body sounds, spoken word, inspirationDance artist, performer, student of Somatic Body Training (somatic movement education and therapy), participant of "On the edge" project (the study of the transformation of modern culture ), non-anthropic interaction practitioner.
- Max Sergeevfield recordings, water manipulation, sound design, editing, mixingMusician, sound designer and record collector based in Moscow.
A long-time member of experimental sound project Membrana/Membranoids and Bigudi.
