Chartres: one hour of sound in a Gothic cathedral

Chartres: one hour of sound in a Gothic cathedral
Author: Toine Horvers
Publisher: Onomatopee
Language: English edition
Pages: 124
Size: 16 x 23 cm
Weight: 281 g
Binding: Softcover
ISBN: 978-94-91677-08-3
Price: €12.50
Product Description

Toine Horvers’ semantic exercise in defining actual sound beyond poetic temptations.

As it is been told by Toine Horvers himself:

"As an artist, I work with spoken and written language in performances, drawings and books. My material consists of the results of observations of situations and processes which I see or hear occurring in reality.

On a weekday in 1999, from a fixed point inside Chartres cathedral, I made an hour long sound recording. At the time of recording, no organised religious activity was taking place. The building was being visited by tourists and groups of believers who were talking, praying and singing.

In 2013, I began to translate this universe of sounds into words and sentences, without stating the source of the sound or referring to the physical space of the cathedral.

In order to be able to approach sound as autonomous energy, I stripped my language of the styles and tools which are often used in describing sound: sound imitating words, words derived from seeing, words conveying human feelings, poetic / expressive phrases, technical sound and musical terms, similes and metaphors.

Wherever possible, I replaced words of Latin or French origins with words that I felt were more descriptive in nature.

All these restrictions and interventions were important in my attempt to come closer to the fundamental nature of both language and sound through listening and writing."