Architecture and the Senses

Seminar, Workshops and Performances
12–14 October 2018
Plasy Monastery

Every room has its own melody, hiding there until it is made audible.

Alvin Lucier

Sight is the mode of perception for the solitary observer, while hearing creates a feeling of interconnectedness and solidarity.

Juhani Pallasmaa

Nests of birds are perfect because birds are probably not aware of their mortality.

Jean-Henri Fabré

Within architecture, every built space can modify, position, reflect or reverberate the sounds that occur there. Sound embraces and transcends the spaces in which it occurs, opening up a consummate context for the listener: the acoustic source and its surroundings unite into a unique auditory experience.

OASE


Open call for participation

The call has been closed and the final program is available here.

Preliminary list of participants

Irena Bukačová (CR), Anna Kvíčalová (CR), Yiorgis Sakellariou (Lit/GR), Rajesh Mehta (BDR/USA), John Grzinich (Est), Taufan ter Weel (NL), Sara Pinheiro (PT/CR), Davide Tidoni (IT), Miloš Šejn (ČR), Jez riley French (UK), Ian Mikyska (CR), Csaba Hajnóczy (HUN), Vít Zavadil (CR), Stanislav Abrahám (CR), Judit Emese Konopás (HUN), Martin Zet (CR), Saša Spačal (SL), Petra Kapš (SL), Martin Klusák/Jakub Wágner CR, Judit Konopás (HUN).

Students of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Faculty of Art Technical University in Brno and Faculty of Art and Design in Ústí nad Labem: Tomáš Roček, Martin Marek, Adam Hejduk, Zuzana Šklíbová, Jan Kromholz, Iva Polanecká, Polina Khatsenka, Matěj Šenkyřík, Jiří Rouš.

Acoustics, much like light, or space, whether in the landscape or in architecture, actively influences our emotional state and our way of thinking. Sound orients us in both time and space, fine-tuning our social connections, constituting a discourse which we have begun to revisit only in the last few decades. As invisible as is radiation or microchemical contamination, acoustic pollution is a factor with a palpable impact on the crisis-state of today’s environment. We are inclined to underestimate its urgency, and have consistently failed to develop the political, social and technical tools to limit the broad impact of all forms of pollution, including acoustic pollution.

The goal of this interdisciplinary gathering of specialists and the interested public is to foster a discussion about the relationship between architecture, art, ethology, and social and environmental issues, to focus on intersections between aesthetics, ethics, acoustics of architecture, geometry, natural science, the humanities and art.

Sacral architecture has put a great deal of emphasis on spatial acoustics, resonance of human voice or musical instrument. The acoustics of the Baroque convent of the Plasy Monastery is an exceptional example of this forgotten art. The gathering will take place in Mathey's Hall, and is hosted by the Center for Architectural Heritage Plasy. It is open to heritage preservationists, architects, musicians, natural and humanist scientists, researchers, artists, as well as to the general public.

The framework expands the traditional understanding of the model of architecture as the sole realm intervening between the human species and its environment and strives to include an extra-human perspective, such as the architecture of animals, insects, or birds.

You are invited to propose a: lecture, workshop, short sound or audiovisual performance, sound walk. Please send short abstract including short CV to: sound@agosto-foundation.org.

The evening event at the Plasy Monastery convent is being prepared by students and teachers from the Center of Audiovisual Studies at FAMU (the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague), with the additional participation of the Department of Time-based Art at UJEP, Ústí nad Labem.

The event is being prepared in continuity with the launch of the Hermit Foundation Archive of the Center for Metamedia Plasy and the Soundworms Ecology Gathering of 2017, both part of the Agosto Foundations Mediateka, as well as the presentation of the Czech translation of Raymond Murray Schafer’s book The New Soundscape.

The list of presenters includes architects, environmentalists, sociologist, natural scientists, artists and ecologists. A detailed program and list of confirmed participants will be announced on August 30.

The capacity of the seminar is limited by the capacity of the Mathey lecture hall.

Registration

To register write: sound@agosto-foundation.org

Entire symposium fee: 500Kč (discount: 250 Kč)
Single day: 200Kč (discount: 100 Kč)

Please reserve space in advance. The registration fee will be accepted on the spot during the Seminar.


Contacts and Information

Concept: Miloš Vojtěchovský
sound@agosto-foundation.org
+420 608 571 881

Vít Bohal
sound@agosto-foundation.org
+420 731 352 122

Radoslava Schmelzová
rschmelzova@gmail.com

Organizer: Agosto Foundation, Vojtěšská 196/18, 110 00 Praha 1
Co-organizer: Plasy sobě z.s. association

Cooperating institutions: National Heritage institute, National Technical Museum - Center for Building Heritage Plasy, Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Faculty of Art and Design of the J.E. Purkyně University.

This project takes place with the financial support of the Region of Plzeň.

www.turisturaj.cz