Humussphärenreservat

Humussphärenreservat (humussphere reserve) is an artistic research on the landscape of the Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin (Brandenburg). The project examines the new conditions of perception through sensing technologies. To what extent does the use of sensors generate new landscapes and entire ecosystems? In the research part, an experimental approach to the near-natural environments of the biosphere reserve was developed. The results of this process were then transformed into an audiovisual installation.

Research

From 2019 to 2022, around 70 hours of field recording material was generated using sensors in the soils of the main landscape types within the area. Conventional geophone sensors have been specially modified for recording sound in the soil. The field work was conducted with a focus on the soil interior as a living space, which is understood as an equal part of the human environment. The field recording archive forms an acoustic map of the environment, which was then converted in an audio-visual installation.

Installation

In 2023 the 2-channel video / 8-channel audio installation was presented at Stallmuseum Groß Fredenwalde, a project space that is explicitly aimed at local communities in the area. Excerpts from the field recording archive were spatially transduced and presented to the audience. The audio material was backed up by various visual research on the surrounding landscape. Speaking with anthropologist Stefan Helmreich, the installation attempts to go beyond the concepts of soundscape and immersion.