Title:
Oasis 2000: Music for a Concrete Jungle
Artist(s):
Christina Kubisch
Brief description of the work:
In 'Oasis 2000: Music for a Concrete Jungle' Christina Kubisch worked with site-specific aspects by juxtaposing the South London cityscape with recordings of animal and nature sounds.
Materials, dimensions, duration:
Magnetic induction cables and specially developed magnetic headphones
Location (venue & dates, public/ private):
The piece was installed on the balcony of London's Hayward gallery, overlooking the urban landscape of South London. The piece was part of Sonic Boom exhibition, Hayward Gallery 2000
Audience information (size, mode of participation):
Oasis 2000 allowed a group of participants to participate at the same time, however the use of headphones did not allow for social interaction to develop,
Other information (reviews, collaborators, funders):
A recording entilted 'Oase2000' (7:36 min) was published on the Sonic Boom CDs that accompanied the exhibition catalogue.
Floorplan, scheme:
 
Visual/ audio-visual reference:
Key theme(s):
Awareness of location, dislocation; immersive play; interplay and fusion betweena participant's physical presence and a perceived reality (sound); awareness of illusion of consciousness and limitation of perception
Further context:

 


1 min clip from Oasis 2000 recording

 

The 'idyllic' sounds used in this piece might in the first moments evoke a sense of nostalgia in the listener, and juxtapose the seemingy bleak Sound London skyline. This is also affirmed by the title of the piece 'Oasis 2000: Music for a Concrete Jungle'.

However on listening closer -and this might not even have been intended by Christina Kubisch- we realise that the idyllic sounds are too pure to match the reality of a Western countryside soundscape, and so Oasis 2000 reveals itself as an illusion. This in turn poses the question about the truth of any of our perceptions. As a result, participants might be encouraged to look and listen with increased awareness and question the habitual assumptions and expectations we hold about the world.
Links and further references:

http://www.diskant.net/articles/sonicb.htm
http://www.heise.de/tp/deutsch/inhalt/sa/3516/1.html
http://www.receiver.vodafone.com/09/articles/03_page01.html