Galapagos Crossfade

2017 | ars acustica, radio documentary, installation,

with: Frank D. Steinheimer, ornithologist at university Halle-Wittenberg

production: SWR 2017,  36 minutes
realisation und composition: Antje Vowinckel
premiere of  radio version: 5.12. 2017 SWR 2
presentations:
DokKa-Festival, Karlsruhe, Juni 2018
Dystopia-Festival, Berlin, September 2018

The piece simulates in 36 minutes a long and slow crossfade between documentary and sound art.

 

 

The ornithologist Frank Steinheimer starts  at the Galalapagos archipel and explains especiation among birds and how the listening of wrong songs can can generate  new species among birds.  The original recordings of Galapagos finches  (Macauly archive) , become more and more independent and form up in musical structures. Virtual instruments adapt the real bird songs. They create projection space for imaginary species and open questions.  Later Steinheimer  also discusses  the evolution of humans and their intervention in their own germline.  He explains that meaning of climate changes in the future, but bevor he can come to end, his own voice is changed and he disappears peu à peu. The piece itself performs the creation of a new species/genre. It ends up as a radio hybrid, with no chance for reproduction.

Galapagos-Kreuzblende. Mehrkanal-Installation
Galapagos-Kreuzblende. Mehrkanal-Installation

Also as multi channel installation.