Recomposing the City was honoured to host the Danish sound artist Jacob Kirkegaard for our first public events, on 9-10 October. During his visit, Jacob gave a seminar on his recent projects, and described recording sounds of the earth's ionosphere, in volcanic geysers, and in the devastated city of Chernobyl. He stressed the idea that 'sounds are not always what they seem' and that the same sound can be understood in many different ways depending on how it is experienced. The following day, Jacob presented his work Labyrinthitis , in which audiences can 'listen to listening' -- a concept explored in this wonderful review by Manuel Arturo Abreu. The visit concluded with a day-long meeting with Forum for Alternative Belfast (CIC), who invited Jacob, Sarah and Gascia to their offices to start a conversation that will result in a design proposal by Jacob for a vacant site in Belfast. We were wowed by the energy, enthusiasm and incredible knowledge of the FAB team, and are grateful to Declan Hill and Mark Hackett for giving us a brilliant, critical history of Belfast's planning and architecture, and a walking tour of Belfast's city centre. Jacob was an inspiring presence, and many students in our community wrote to us following his visit saying that they would like to participate in future events. Thank you Jacob for all your outstanding work for this trip, and we look forward to future collaborations!
Via Wikimedia Commons: "
| Ascent of Mr. John Hampton's "Erin-Go-Bragh" balloon, at Batty's Royal Hippodrome, Kensington. The "Erin-Go-Bragh" was the first hot air ballon built in Ireland and Hampton performed parachute jumps from it in Dublin in April 1848." |