Robertina Šebjanič

Dark Drops

Soundwalk

The urban sound walk along the Ljubljanica River takes the listener to the places of the river’s origin. The artist brings the resonant sound of karst water caves into the city centre – the sound of silence occasionally interrupted by drops percolating through limestone.

The Dark Drops project (2017–2021) gives voice to a place unfamiliar to the human ear. The artist visited several karst caves, and the sound recordings used in her 8-channel composition are mainly drawn from the Zelše Caves and Planina Cave, where the rivers Pivka, Rak and Unica form the Ljubljanica further downstream.

Resonating drops in the darkness of caves represent a condensed image of a complex and extreme environment still charged with mystery and unique beauty, where geological and biological time unfold at a different pace. The persistent sound of dripping water acts as a transmitter of information about living conditions in forests, fields, cities and grasslands, while also serving as nourishment for biological life and material for geological formations.

The sound walk was created during the process of developing a homonymous 8-channel sound installation for Steklenik Gallery.

The urban sound walk along the Ljubljanica River takes the listener to the places of the river’s origin. The artist brings the resonant sound of karst water caves into the city centre – the sound of silence occasionally interrupted by drops percolating through limestone.

The Dark Drops project (2017–2021) gives voice to a place unfamiliar to the human ear. The artist visited several karst caves, and the sound recordings used in her 8-channel composition are mainly drawn from the Zelše Caves and Planina Cave, where the rivers Pivka, Rak and Unica form the Ljubljanica further downstream.

Resonating drops in the darkness of caves represent a condensed image of a complex and extreme environment still charged with mystery and unique beauty, where geological and biological time unfold at a different pace. The persistent sound of dripping water acts as a transmitter of information about living conditions in forests, fields, cities and grasslands, while also serving as nourishment for biological life and material for geological formations.

The sound walk was created during the process of developing a homonymous 8-channel sound installation for Steklenik Gallery.

Robertina Šebjanič

An internationally acclaimed and award-winning intermedia artist whose work addresses philosophical questions at the intersection of art, technology and science. Her practice explores the cultural, biopolitical and ecological realities of aquatic environments and examines humanity’s impact on other species and the rights of non-human entities. In her analysis of the Anthropocene, she introduces the terms aquatocene and aquaforming.

Artist: Robertina Šebjanič
Photo: Miha Godec

Artist: Robertina Šebjanič
Translation and editing: Melita Silič
Cover photo: Miha Godec
Production: Cona, Institute for Contemporary Arts Processing, 2021
Part of the festival: Sound Walk City · prelude

Sound Walk City · prelude was initiated by the walk · listen · create platform in collaboration with the Cona Institute. The Ljubljana edition is produced by the Cona Institute, Steklenik Gallery.

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