Ingo Vetter & Annette Weisser: controlled atmosphere #10 RESITE

Zeewolde Public Space, 2001

This sound installation was conceived for the shopping area of Zeewolde, a small town in the Netherlands. It was part of the international group show on public art Artificial Natural Networks. To improve the atmospheric quality of the pedestrian area, the shop owners held an inquiry with the result that benches, trees and a speaker system playing muzak during business hours had been installed. We proposed to change the programming for one hour per day during the 120 days of the exhibition. We made use of the double meaning of the term “ambient music” which describes both the kind of acoustic wallpaper and the ensemble of environmental sounds produced by a given site. We assembled a ambient sound library (water sounds, harbor, skateboarders, shopping trolleys, air condition devices, birds etc.) and together with Robert Henke, we wrote a computer program that automatically generated a new mix every evening. At the beginning the existing soundscape was merely reproduced. Over time the ambient sounds were gradually modified by introducing rhythm and melody.

Susette Min: Soothe Operator – Muzak and Modern Sound Art, Cabinet Magazine, Summer 2002