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::: opening of crosstalk: tartu-berlin soundbridge :::
w/ udo noll
opening of the permanent urban sound installation crosstalk: tartu-berlin soundbridge, a collaboration between udo noll and patrick mcginley commissioned by the goethe institute and domus dorpatensis for the 2012 edition of tartu’s saksa kevad festival.
::: crosstalk page at aporee ::: crosstalk soundmap ::: full program pdf :::
In former telephone networks, the term crosstalk (in German: Nebensprechen, Übersprechen, Einstreuung) described a form of audible disturbance during a a call, often fragments of other calls, network noise or voices. What was considered to be an error, from a technical point of view, was experienced as an almost poetic moment by others: a spatial short-circuit, an unexpected encounter, an intimate touch by sound or a spoken word, the unfolding dimensions of a telecommunication network, whose specific sounds are a topos of it’s own, synonymous with wide distances, and close personal relations.[/ezcol_1half][ezcol_1half_end]
[/ezcol_1half_end][ezcol_4fifth]The project Crosstalk refers to this notion of distant touch. It exchanges recorded sounds from distinct places in Berlin with locations in Tartu, from similar settings or situations. The dis- located sounds are bridging the distance between the two cities. The mobile listener in Tartu moves through the soundscape of Berlin, while browsing his or her local surroundings.
Here’s how it works:
Sounds from Berlin are pinpointed on a virtual map of Tartu. While you walk around town, your phone is permanently tracked by its built-in GPS (or global positioning system). The moment-by-moment positioning interacts with the Radio Aporee Miniatures for Mobiles App. Depending on where you are, the nearest sound from the virtual Tartu map will begin to play. As you move closer to a different sound, it crossfades with the previous one, and so on. If you leave a sound, it remembers where you’ve left off, and will continue from that point if you return. The crosstalk miniature has no prefered direction, just go where you like and use the map for navigation.
Beware: as you may know already, computers sometimes crash and phones sometimes loose their connections. so, if things hang or produce strange results, try restarting the app and start again.
Enjoy your walk![/ezcol_4fifth]