"Expanded Turn", is a project developed by sound artists Nour Sokhon (Beirut, Lebanon) and Jilliene Sellner (Hastings, UK) that explores the universality of sonic realities unfolding during the Corona Pandemic. They juxtapose the experiences of geographically distant people and places through different research methods. By collecting interviews, sonic and visual experiences, Sokhon and Sellner bring to life cultural assumptions, prejudices, understandings and commonalities. The research material is translated into a soundwalk, sound installation and video, a commissioned collection of works for Neue Kunstraum (NKR). The project would have not been possible without the anonymous contributors who shared with us their words, photos and videos.
As a part of the exhibition they invited artist and filmmaker Lena Ditte Nissen to interpret the work with a tour and a workshop. In addition both artists reflected on their process with Dr. Linnea Semmerling (intermedia art institute Düsseldorf) and Anne Schülke by discussing public, artist artistic archives, deleting archives, grief, lost time and mental health during the pandemic.
Transcription excerpts from “it…feels like something from another life…” :
I don't feel like I am myself. I don't feel like anyone I know is themselves. I do have eye contact with strangers.It is the only contact you can have now.
As a teenager Beirut was pretty alive.
You know the world around us is so absurd. It's just been a year. The seasons change quite quickly.
What do you understand about the physical world? What is physical about the world?
I observe more people and how they are behaving but what I see is that people are avoiding eye contact with one another.
I had to find refuge in the mountains because the air became too much to smell. For the longest time I wasn’t able to see nature anymore because the reality was too heavy on us.
It was nice to see Beirut calm without the chaos.
I hear the tinnitus in my ears and that's about it. I had to find refuge in the mountains because the air became too much to smell.
For me traffic noise these days is what really brings me down.
I don't see or hear anything the same, I remember on a walk I did with you one of us stepped on a twig and actually the next day when I was walking I only remembered that twig when I was at that spot and it was weird because I just remembered the sound.
I find myself observing details instead of looking at the big picture you know.
I hear things louder than before. If a car passes by I feel totally irritated by loud sounds.
The air smelled different at first but then pollution came back.
You know the world around us is so absurd.
The hugs. The three kisses. It feels like something from another life.
A project by Nour Sokhon & Jilliene Sellner
Idea and organization: Detlef Klepsch und Anne Schülke
Illustration (Project): Hassan Issa
Illustration (Map): Ellie Jewell
Sound Mixing and Mastering: Ziad Moukarzel
Workshop and Talk Moderator: Lena Ditte Nissen
Photos: Johannes Bendzulla
As a part of the exhibition they invited artist and filmmaker Lena Ditte Nissen to interpret the work with a tour and a workshop. In addition both artists reflected on their process with Dr. Linnea Semmerling (intermedia art institute Düsseldorf) and Anne Schülke by discussing public, artist artistic archives, deleting archives, grief, lost time and mental health during the pandemic.
Transcription excerpts from “it…feels like something from another life…” :
I don't feel like I am myself. I don't feel like anyone I know is themselves. I do have eye contact with strangers.It is the only contact you can have now.
As a teenager Beirut was pretty alive.
You know the world around us is so absurd. It's just been a year. The seasons change quite quickly.
What do you understand about the physical world? What is physical about the world?
I observe more people and how they are behaving but what I see is that people are avoiding eye contact with one another.
I had to find refuge in the mountains because the air became too much to smell. For the longest time I wasn’t able to see nature anymore because the reality was too heavy on us.
It was nice to see Beirut calm without the chaos.
I hear the tinnitus in my ears and that's about it. I had to find refuge in the mountains because the air became too much to smell.
For me traffic noise these days is what really brings me down.
I don't see or hear anything the same, I remember on a walk I did with you one of us stepped on a twig and actually the next day when I was walking I only remembered that twig when I was at that spot and it was weird because I just remembered the sound.
I find myself observing details instead of looking at the big picture you know.
I hear things louder than before. If a car passes by I feel totally irritated by loud sounds.
The air smelled different at first but then pollution came back.
You know the world around us is so absurd.
The hugs. The three kisses. It feels like something from another life.
A project by Nour Sokhon & Jilliene Sellner
Idea and organization: Detlef Klepsch und Anne Schülke
Illustration (Project): Hassan Issa
Illustration (Map): Ellie Jewell
Sound Mixing and Mastering: Ziad Moukarzel
Workshop and Talk Moderator: Lena Ditte Nissen
Photos: Johannes Bendzulla
