The Sounding Archive

"The Sounding Archive" is a sonification of the archive’s list of data, which can be heard as a sound installation in June 2013. The different characteristics, letters and numbers of each individual data item from its 8000 entries will be passed through a program to generate specific acoustic events. These differ from one another in duration, dynamics, frequency, density, timbre and tempo and develop according to both spatial and temporal components by means of the spatialisation of certain characteristics.
Composer Andre Bartetzki played an important role in carrying out the programming for this project in SuperCollider

"Pieces for the Archive I" ©Marian Stefanowski
"Pieces for the Archive I" ©Marian Stefanowski
"Pieces for the Archive I" ©Marian Stefanowski
"Pieces for the Archive I" ©Marian Stefanowski
"Pieces for the Archive I" ©Marian Stefanowski
"Pieces for the Archive I" ©Marian Stefanowski

Pieces for the Archive I – Live Composition by Eunice Martins and Mehmet Can Özer

Live compositions drawing on short films from the Arsenal archive. Taking these short films as a starting point, which themselves experiment with image and sound and how they can be combined or treated separately, a performance piece is created live by selected musicians/performers, which reflects, enters into dialogue with, departs from the films included in the program.
On July 7, 2012 a first edition of live compositions with Eunice Martins (piano) and Mehmet Can Özer (live elektronics) took place at Arsenal cinema.

Short films included in the program:
SUSAN THROUGH CORN, Kathleen Laughlin, USA 1974, 16mm, 2 min
TAILS, Paul Sharits, USA 1976, 16mm, 4 min
4000 FRAMES – AN EYE OPENER FILM, Arthur & Corinne Cantrill, Australia 1970, 16mm, 3 min
RAILROAD TURNBRIDGE, Richard Serra, USA 1975/76, 16mm, 17 min
LA MARCHE DES MACHINES, Eugène Deslaw, France 1928, 16mm, 7 min
EYE MYTH EDUCATIONAL, Stan Brakhage, USA 1972, 16mm, 2 min
LIGHTS, Marie Menken, USA 1964/65, 16mm, 6 min
SAILBOAT, Joyce Wieland, Canada 1968, 16mm, 3 min

Pieces for the Archive II – Live Composition by Eunice Martins, Miriam Akkermann and Laura Mello
Pieces for the Archive II is a live, communicative and self-contained composition featuring Eunice Martins (piano, vocals), Miriam Akkermann (flute, live electronics) and Laura Mello (piano, live electronics) that interacts with selected shorts as they are screened. The performance took place on June 28, 2013.

Short films included in the program:
CANADIAN PACIFIC, David Rimmer, Canada 1974, 16mm, 9 min
DRIPS IN STRIPS, Marie Menken, USA 1961, 16mm, 3 min
PP II, M. M. Serra, USA 1986, 16mm, 1 min
LISA AND SUZANNE, Ernie Gehr, USA 1969–75, 16mm, 9 min
FLUXFILM NO. 19 – OPUS 74, VERSION 2, Eric Andersen, USA 1966, 16mm, 2 min
A MAN AND HIS DOG OUT FOR AIR, Robert Breer, USA 1957, 16mm, 2 min
FLUXFILM NO. 7 – 10 FEET, 1000 FRAMES, George Maciunas, USA 1966, 16mm, 1 min
FLUXFILM NO. 37, Peter Kennedy, USA 1966, 16mm, 2 min
FLUXFILM NO. 22 – SHOUT, Jeff Perkins & Anthony Cox, USA 1966, 16mm, 2 min
FLUXFILM NO. 26–28 – UNROLLING EVENT, Paul Sharits, USA 1966, 16mm, 3 min
FLUXFILM NO. 3 – END AFTER 9, George Maciunas, USA 1966, 16mm, 1 min
FLUXFILM NO. 14 – ONE, Yoko Ono, USA 1966, 16mm, 5 min