What role does sound research play in understanding climate change and complex natural systems? The Indian composer and sound artist Pratyay Raha presents world premieres of his latest works from the field of acoustic ecology, which were created during a four-week residency at the ZKM | Hertz-Lab.

 

The Hertz-Lab continues the joint residency program »bangaloREsidency-Expanded« in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut / Max Müller Bhavan Bangalore, for which only musicians from the South Indian city of Bangalore can apply. The aim of the initiative is to establish a long-term artistic exchange between India and Germany. In this way, access to the artistic practice of the respective other culture is created and new aesthetic impressions are worked out that do not correspond to the classical, European-traditional styles and thus create space for expanded listening impressions. This year's resident artist Pratyay Raha was chosen by a German-Indian jury.

Pratyay Raha contributes to the understanding of natural ecosystems exposed to the ongoing climate crisis. He therefore focuses on the complex, reciprocal relationship between humans and the environment, including ecologically affected areas. As part of the concert, he presents his project »MetaMangrovis«, in which he explores these relationship in a poetic and surreal way through field recordings and sonic narratives. The omipresent focus of his performance is the question of the role sound research plays in understanding climate change and complex natural systems.

The regional focus of his research is the Sundarbans, located between eastern India and Bangladesh, which form the largest mangrove forest in the world. According to the World Wildlife Fund India, this area is "located in the low coastal zone and is more vulnerable to the effects of changing climatic conditions such as floods, cyclones, relative sea level rise and shoreline erosion" than most other areas of the world.

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Ludger Brümmer (Artistic director)
Dominik Kautz (Artistic director & project manager)
Benjamin Miller (Sound director)
Hans Gass (Light & stage technician)