Camminando Ascoltando

2013

What is the relation between sound and landscape and what is the importance of listening while exploring a territory? Departing from a soundwalk guided by Lucia Farinati and Brave New Alps, Camminando Ascoltando (walking while listening) intended to form a work group that engages in exploring the urban landscape of Rovereto and that experiments with collective modes of listening, analysing and producing on site.

From the 15th to the 18th June 2013, in collaboration with Lucia Farinati (Sound Threshold ) and as part of the festival Futuro Presente , we led a workshop for a group of seven participants of different ages, which revolved around a silent 2-hour soundwalk around Rovereto and around the discussion and analyses of the experiences as well as observations made by the group.

The chosen route passed through public as well as private, enclosed as well as open, well-known as well as little known places of the town. The general idea of the walk was to move through places that are part of the everyday of different groups of inhabitants – youngsters and students, workers and employees, migrants and elder people.

Over the days that followed the walk, field recordings were made and experiences and impressions were shared. From this collective engagement an instant publication in Italian was produced, which brings together the different discourses that emerged during the four days. The results were presented during a conclusive public event.

Field recording

During the walk participants were asked not to talk and to ‘record’ the sounds only by taking notes and photographs.

At the starting point of the walk, each participant was given a rough scheme of the route and a number of advices and suggestions to ‘orient’ their listening.