From 6 until 12 November 2017 The Listening House (2017), the architectural interactive sound sculpture by Machiel Spaan/M3H architecten (concept, design) and Rozalie Hirs (music), is exhibited at November Music, Den Bosch. The exhibition lasts for the entire duration of the festival; its opening hours are from 9:00-21:00 daily.
The installation was originally part of The Dolls’ House Project, initiated and curated by the architect Peter Masselink as a benefit exhibition to enhance awareness about congenital metabolic disorders: the Inborn errors of metabolism. A series of exhibitions of eighteen sculptures throughout The Netherlands during 2017-18 is to be concluded by an auction of all sculptures; the revenue will be donated to scientific research on the diseases.
Luisterhuis (2017, The Listening House), a collaboration by Hirs and Spaan, can be regarded as the successor of their location-specific interactive sound and poetry app Curvices (2013) with virtual listening rooms, spatially designed by Spaan. The outdoor spaces can be explored by walking through the museum park Klankenbos, Neerpelt, Belgium (2013-present), Citadel, Den Bosch, The Netherlands (2014-present), and Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, Amsterdam (2015-16). In Curvices, GPS technology localizes the listener’s position and triggers the respective song or soundtrack. In The Listening House the rooms are actually physically present as part of the model, an abstract dolls’ house, designed by Spaan. Again each room possesses its own soundtrack. The rooms and their sounds can be explored by walking around the model and approaching the desired position. Sensors judge the proximity of the listener and trigger the corresponding sounds signalling the environment and function of the living spaces.
With special thanks to Casper Schipper (electronic wiring setup of speakers and sensors), Remko Spaan (carpentry), Layla Hollestelle and Menno Ubink (technical support).
Date: 2017-11-06
Time: 9:00-21:00 daily
Location: Willem II (Kunsthal), November Music, Den Bosch, The Netherlands