FLUGSPUREN 2020

The ringing of church bells, once a unique and defining sound in Central Europe, shaped the rhythm, structure, and location of the church, as well as its congregation. Today, this "soundmark" of bell ringing in many villages and towns is merely a faint impulse amidst the soundscape of modern life. The acoustic identity of bells has been largely replaced by the noise of industrialization and tourism, with their associated sound effects. To trace these "flight tracks" acoustically, continuous overflight recordings were made from the same position over a set period, from spring to autumn 2014.

In March 2010, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted in Iceland. By mid-April, air traffic across Europe came to a sudden halt for a brief moment. Not only did planes disappear from the sky, but the entire soundscape shifted significantly during that time.

Almost ten years later, on 22 March 2020, the federal and state governments of Germany imposed a contact ban to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. These measures lasted until 19 April 2020. Globally, similar contact and curfews were enacted, leading to a drastic reduction in air traffic. Nearly all planes remained grounded during this period.

How does the soundscape change when an entire society stays at home?

When 95% of air traffic disappears?

When the daily commute is no longer necessary?

When the garden, backyard, balcony, or window becomes the center of life?

Between 28 March and 15 April 2020, recordings were made at regular intervals from the same listening point (backyard) as in 2016. The recordings were then layered into a system and temporally condensed into just under 15 minutes, achieved by compressing and overlaying individual soundtracks. This temporal and spatial compression reveals the acoustic quality of the soundscape, and in contrast to air and car traffic, traces the reemergence of natural and social spaces. Suddenly, the ringing of the bells takes center stage once again.

The work was first presented in 2021 at the exhibition Mattering Oil / Klima2+ at the Norsk Teknisk Museum in Oslo, Norway.