Unsound – Listening – Embodiment – Sonic Event – Inhabit – Memory – Ritual – Reverberation – LFO – One sound, changing through reverberation.
The San Bernardo’s Maestranza was an old train turnery and workshop, placed at the south of Santiago, capital of Chile, constructed in the beginning of the 19th century by Netherland investors. It was build to support the rise of raw materials exportation, such as carbon and metals, used in the two world wars. Consequently, the turnery helped to rise the chilean economy, bringing a golden era of production and exportations. With the military dictatorship, the turnery was slowly disarm because of political interests: the syndicate of train workers had a great popular power that threaten the right wind agenda. It is well know that the transportation business was on dispute between statal train workers and the trucks companies. Finally the train state industry decays at the end of the 80’s and the turnery was closed. Nowadays, this building is part of the patrimonial circuit of San Bernardo, but its absolute abandoned. Without investment, this place has become a symbol of decay, impoverishment and danger. Projects propositions were presented to rescue this patrimonial place, but neither of them were successful: the options goes between a shopping mall or a cultural center.
I delve into the monumental feeling of the building. For me the phenomena condition of this particular space where very important. I related to have an embodied experience with it, not only a representation but an listening experience. I use a mobile speaker with modulated frequencies (450.90 – 505.45 Hz) to perform with objects and spaces.
I explore the place and its spaces, where the listening and its resonances where more stronger. I explore the resonance of many objects that I collect. With them, I made an sound assemblage, a (un)sacred space where I perform this sound ritual. For me the objects were screaming to be noticed again.
Many things happen before, I found a big burned log and lugged for the place, it was very hardworking. I explore the resonance of holes and corners, and so on. I was very exhausted after the action.
There is an abandoned place
outside the city,
betrayed by the pass of time.
An old train’s turnery;
vapor and carbon,
production and hardworking.
A Nation modern’s dream.
Workers fed wars as silent suppliers
of other nations productivity
A golden era came.
The economy growth,
people were happy,
improvement and resources spread.
But then, a misfortune accident.
Two giants collided,
A vision of a future death.
Socialism idealism was gone.
An Emperor ripped off.
Our economy was sold.
There wasn’t turnery anymore.
Business man built new houses,
new memories.
But a cluster remains,
a space of unexpected people,
creatures that reached the nightfall.
Screams and violence,
substances and despair.
Ghostly objects are witness
of this humanity remains.
Genesis Victoria
Sound action. Maestranza de San Bernardo. Region Metropolitana. Chile. February, 2018.
