Synthetic Landscapes Soundscape

Venice is a long way from Port Harcourt, but for centuries there have been flows of cargo between the Venice lagoon and the Bight of Biafra. When we were invited to exhibit in the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, we wanted to ground our work in the realities of our city and the creeks that fringe it. One of the elements we used to do that was sound. 

We filled our installation with sonic layers of agricultural sensor signals, seismic soundings, creature calls, weather and human voices recorded in our creeks and across the ocean in the other site we explored and arranged them into an ecological and geological orchestra.

We live and work in some of the most environmentally devastated landscapes in the world and some of the most overlooked communities on the planet. We did not what them to go unheard. If you can’t visit our exhibition in Venice, get your headphones, close your eyes and listen long. 

We are delighted that a community media project from the slums of Port Harcourt gets a hearing in Venice. We’ll be sharing more from that project soon. 

Special thanks to Alex Braidwood and our own Ana Bonaldo and the Chicoco tech crew.