For the call of the art festival Begehungen 22, the wonderful Omani Frei and I applied with a concept. In the end, the concept did not make it to the shortlist, but I would like to record it here for posterity.
Empty places created by people are usually surrounded by a very special atmosphere. When one enters such buildings, one is overcome by the desire to demonstrate the place’s dignity in the form of silence.
In the case of a swimming pool, this seems downright absurd.
After all, what makes such a place if not liveliness? Memories of outdoor swimming pools are inevitably linked to a loud soundscape. A confusion of voices, splashing water, squeaking noises, children laughing – all this is simply part of the swimming pool. If such a place is lacking, one becomes painfully aware that something is wrong. So the place must not be punished with silence, the voice must be given back to it. With Hall’n Bad we want to do just that.
The acoustic epicentre of any swimming pool is the large pool in the middle of the hall. Hall’n Bad sets the scene for this centre. During the residency, Jan Kosyk will use the existing objects in the bath and its surroundings (slides, pipes, brickwork, cabinets, glass, water, voices, etc.) to create different sounds, record them and compose works with the sounds. These works are then played back via eight boxes in the floor drain of the edge of the pool. The individual loudspeakers are only audible in the immediate vicinity, like an impressive reminder of times gone by. In this way, the perceived history of the bath can be traced along the edge of the pool.
Since the sound installations are not visible, Omani Frei will paint the tiles inside the pool to create a visual attraction. Ecologically safe clay colours and pigments will be used: ultramarine, iron oxide red, delicate spinel turquoise and a little gold ochre. The resulting abstract painting matches the colour of its surroundings and is an eye-catcher at the same time.
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