As of June 26th until October 3rd the walking exhibition Outdoor Hiking with Sound & other Fireworks guides you through three adjacent parks in Antwerp; Den Brandt, Middelheim and Vogelenzang. There’s nothing to see. More than 30 artists are invited to create an experimental audio work that may or may not react to the relationship between artistic creation and nature, sound and historical environment. Curators Glenn Geerinck and Josine De Roover invited visual artists, writers and/or musicians to present a new auditive work within their own boundless and undefined artistic practice.

Oorstof participates with sound works by Bombay Lunatic Asylum (Juli), Terrie Ex & Hanne De Backer (August) and Marjolein Vernimmen & Jenna Vergeynst (September). Unique recordings made by Christophe Albertijn at the Middelheim Museum inside and outside of Bruce Nauman’s Diamond Shaped Room with Yellow Light, edited and mixed by Koen Vandenhoudt. You can find all practical information on the exhibition on the dedicated website outdoorhiking.be

About his work Diamond Shaped Room with Yellow Light at the Middelheim Museum Bruce Nauman stated; “The bright yellow light can dazzle you just as you enter. Colour and form are confusing. You don’t want to stay in this room for very long.” To check the sonic qualities of the pavilion Oorstof asked Bombay Lunatic Asylum, Terrie Ex & Hanne De Backer  and Marjolein Vernimmen & Jenna Vergeynst (September) to perform inside and outside of Nauman’s pavilion. The results are very suprising indeed …

JULY: BOMBAY LUNATIC ASYLUM: BEHIND THE BUDDHA’S MASK – 29:45

While the pandemic forces poet, writer, sarangi player and global wanderer Louise Landes Levi to reside in Japan for now her voice – reciting poems from the soon to be published Behind The Buddha’s Mask – is transported to the confines of Bruce Nauman’s Diamond Shaped Room with Yellow Light by Bart De Paepe (Harmonium, Shruti Box) and Koen Vandenhoudt (Sarangi). Taking a subtle drone played first in the Middelheim parc to the inside of Nauman’s pavilion the sound remains soothing in contrast to the rather unsettling or dissorientating experience the other senses might experience.

AUGUST: TERRIE EX & HANNE DE BACKER – 25:48

Being extreme adventurous musical souls both guitar player Terrie Hessels (The Ex) and baritone sax player Hanne De Backer (g a b b r o) eagerly accepted Oorstof’s inviation to take a sonic hike through the Middelheim parc and Bruce Nauman’s Diamond Shaped Room with Yellow Light. Also on this second attempt to examine the sonic qualities of Nauman’s pavilion the listener is taken on a suprising auditive journey that feels rather natural and balanced, but that might be a very subjective conclusion of course …

SEPTEMBER: MARJOLEIN VERNIMMEN & JENNA VERGEYNST – 28:16

Stepping outside their comfort zone was bound to happen for harp players Marjolein Vernimmen en Jenna Vergeynst. While harps are not exactly hike proof the sounds they produce will definitely take you to other places. Wether it’s places you would really like to be or places you would rather avoid will show after you heard their exploration of the sonic qualities of Bruce Nauman’s Diamond Shaped Room with Yellow Light and their intaraction with the everyday sounds produced in the parc. Again the senses play a surpising trick on you …

Recorded By Christophe Albertijn at Middelheim Museum, inside and outside of Bruce Naumann’s Diamond Shaped Room with Yellow Light.
Edited & Mixed by Koen Vandenhoudt Produced by Sound in Motion: Koen Vandenhoudt & Christel Kumpen