Immersive Venice - A Thousand Echoes
Giulia Vismara, Cobi van Tonder, Angela McArthur · 2023
The soundscapes of Venice are as fascinating as its architectural wonders, rich history, impressive art and vibrant contemporary life. The timeless essence of the city, carved in marble over the millennia, appears firm and fluid, echoing the ebb of the tides. Venice is a city engaged in an incessant dialogue with its past, bridging the gap between the ephemeral and the lasting. Following the technique of auralization, we embark on a journey to explore the echoes of Venice, capturing its acoustic footprints and the existing and imaginary immersive sound. We venture into the quiet nights of the city, recording impulse responses from unusual viewpoints capturing different moments in time and space. Our collection includes field recordings that include the rhythmic cadence of thousands of steps, the daily buzz of voices on the streets, and the gentle caress of water against boats, docks, and seabeds, all contributing to the unique acoustics of the city. Through our artistic practice, we challenge the notion of objectivity in scientific research. We intersect our subjective sound practices with a scientific approach using technological means that respond to a specific space definition. Living a notion of space as physical and sensory and a notion of time as layered and non-linear, we agree on all these elements to present an exploration enriched by the auditory landscape of Venice. This material that reveals the deep connection between this extraordinary city's sound and essence will nourish three compositions and an acoustic mapping. This article presents meta-perspectives that consider paradigms of objectivity/ subjectivity and the importance of recognizing multiple perspectives when working with acoustic and sonic footprints of places.