sonotopia 2012

sonotopia 2012

Sound interventions in Bonn city center

Resonant footsteps in the subway station, splashing fountain water, gusts of wind in the trees, humming ventilation systems – the city has a sound. Architecture students from Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences in Alfter near Bonn explored the interactions of sound and space in the city’s public spaces together with this year’s Bonn “city sound artist” Andreas Oldörp. The result is the exhibition project sonotopia 2012 – eight sound interventions on the theme of “Sound Art and Architecture”.
The students of Alanus University worked together with Andreas Oldörp and Willem-Jan Beeren, Professor of Architecture and Art in Dialogue at Alanus University, to examine various locations in Bonn city center with regard to their soundscape and potential. On this basis, they developed concepts for various sound interventions. The works enrich Bonn city center until the end of September with sound carpets made of organ pipes or relaxation music, with silencers, saxophone sounds, and underwater noises. The route of the sound interventions runs across Friedensplatz and Münsterplatz, Kaiserplatz, through the Hofgarten to the Rhine. The collaboration between Alanus University and Andreas Oldörp took place as part of Bonn hoeren, a project of the Beethoven Foundation for Art and Culture of the City of Bonn. This year’s focus is the theme “Sound Art and Architecture”.

Project leads
Prof. Willem-Jan Beeren, Andreas Oldörp

Cooperation partners
Bonn hoeren
Beethoven Foundation Bonn

Project duration
09/2012