ARCTIC MIRAGE
THE ART OF LISTENING
Our culture is primarily focussed on our visual sensory. We know much of the history because of stories we could transfer visually. Like written letters, paintings and cave drawings. We are only able since a relative short time to record and archive sound in a good and usable manner. Soundscape ecology is a new field of research were we investigate the relationship between the geophony, biophony and anthrophony.
Sound can be used to measure and visualize the health of a given ecosystem. We want to create a bridge between art and science through the use of sound art and film. We want to stimulate peoples senses by changing the perspective they hear and see.
The Northpole is an endless inspiring landscape. Seemingly no man’s land. Raw nature. This area is right now of great interest because of a changing climate. There is a increase of sound we humans add the underwater soundscape. What is the effect of these sounds on life aquatic?
Watch the teaser
Tristan Visser
When does sound become music? On this border Tristan likes to play in his work. The relationship between humans and the sea is a recurring theme in his projects. He wants to make people more aware and curious of the soundscape that surrounds them. He presents his projects as audiovisual productions, live performances and sound installations.
He graduated as Bachelor of Music on the Academy for Popular Culture in Leeuwarden in 2018.
In 2019 he went to Greenland for the first time to explore the possibility the communicate with a whale through music. The result is presented in the short documentary ‘Onder Water (Under Water, in Dutch) – The quest for the soundscape in sea’. Leading up to this adventure he created a multichannel sound installation for the exhibition Louis Apol on Nova Zebla in Panorama Mesdag in Den Haag. A large panorama painting created in the 19th century. In 2021 he contributed a sound installation for the exhibition ‘Blood, Sweat and Whale Oil’ in Frisian Shipping Museum in Sneek.
JEROEN VAN DE BOVENKAMP
To use video and film as matter of passing on inspiring and motivating stories. This is where Jeroen his passion lays. Video and film is one of the best ways to have stories reach a bigger audience. Jeroen graduated a HBO Bachelors degree in Communication and Multimedia Design. Parttime working for care organization Fier: nationwide expertise- and treatment center with the focus on violence in dependency relationships. Besides that he has his own company ‘Lange Krullenbol’ where he works on a variety of film and video projects.
One of his latest film projects brought him to two ocean rowers who participated in a competition to row the Atlantic Ocean and raise money and awareness on the plastic pollution challenge in the ocean. For the making of this documentary he himself also crossed the Atlantic Ocean on sailing vessel ‘Windfall’.
Jeroen is a social creator. Always on the lookout for new stories to capture on film and share with the world.
The noordwest passage
For centuries, explorers have tried to venture down the legendary route: the Northwest Passage. A route from Greenland, along Canada to Alaska. This is a much shorter route than Cape Horn or Cape of Good Hope, as long as there is no ice gettin in the way. It is a route where some travelers got lost, some got stuck and some disappeared. Until Amundsen cleared the way in 1903. For a short period in the year this route is sailable. Few have dared to sail the route with a sailboat, as far as we know, only 300 sailboats have traveled this route. Traveling with a sailboat gives us the opportunity to capture this area in sound and film in a way where nature isn’t affected in any way.
Mae West
The Mae West is the sailing yacht from André Speet, he has many years of sailing and travel experience. He took us on his boat through the Northwest Passage. The Mae West is made to sail in this climate, to defy the ice. A steel 14.40 meter S-truss with a long keel and two masts. Named after the American actress of the last century.
During the voyage in August and September 2022, the crew consisted of Captain André Speet, Jeannie Zortman, Tristan Visser and Jeroen van de Bovenkamp.
Crew mae west
Noordwest passage 2022
What are we creating
Arctic Mirage continues where Onder Water left off. An artistic interpretation of Arctic landscapes above the polar circle. From Greenland to Alaska we pass the Northwest Passage through Canadian Fjord and Island groups. We want to dive deeper in the subject on how humans are influencing the natural soundscape. The result will be heard on the album we are going to release. On the making of this album we are going to create a film. This film will explore the theme’s surrounding the project.
We are going to collaborate with various artists to translate the recorded sounds are influencing us humans. This will be presented in the film in a scene where an artist with synesthesia is going to paint a soundscape.
We want to create a connection to the underwater world by have people listening to it. We believe from appreciation can arise the need for protection.
Music Album
The album Arctic Mirage will reflect on the journey through the Northwest Passage in sound and music. Musical interactions in Canada will be implemented in new compositions. A library of field recordings made in Greenland, Canada and Alaska will form the base of the soundscapes. In the studio Tristan will combine these sounds with new compositions in experimental ways.