Sightseeing for the Blind \u201cis a project by Rui Costa based on a sound walk through a city.<\/p>\n
The experience that a tourist has of a city is largely determined by the randomness of the impressions on the edge of consciousness, a permanent mapping between what one sees and desires, preconceived ideas, memories, etc.. It is intended that the project uses this mental process as a starting point for an artistic creation.<\/p>\n
The sound recording of a city that has seen by the first time incorporates this thought process in a very evident way: By registering the sonic environment of the place, many subjective aspects are also captured: decisions on where to go, what places to avoid, how long to stay in one place, how fast walking, preconceived ideas of what one wants to record and so on.<\/p>\n
The project begins with a phase of \u201csound tourism.\u201d With the help of a tour guide, some routes will be defined that will be traveled and recorded with the aid of a pair of binaural microphones. Along the route impressions, moods, mental associations and decisions will also be recorded. This information will be used later to create a score or a series of instructions for the second stage of the work, which may consist of a composition or a sound installation.<\/p>\n
The first step of this project focused on the city of Lisbon, and culminated with the publication in August 2009 of a CD with a sound composition. Under the will of the artist in making new variants of the same project in several cities in Portugal and abroad, a second version of the project will be developed in August 2010 in the city of Aveiro.<\/p>\n
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