CANARIAS DC SOUNDWALK

CANARIAS DC SOUNDWALK explores the sonic ecologies of the Canary Islands, a volcanic archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Northwest Africa, within the geographic region known as Macaronesia.

CANARIAS DC SOUNDWALK presents an itinerary with seven compositions for headphone listening geolocated across chosen locations in Washington, D.C. Each piece is composed with environmental sound materials from each of the islands: El Hierro, La Gomera, La Palma, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote.

This project investigates the vitality of more-than-human entities and realities, aiming to promote less anthropocentric ways of being and thinking. Through different listening strategies and audio technologies, the work concentrates on what usually remains hidden or unnoticed, on the limits and thresholds of perception and attention. The project focuses on the voices and audible presence of animal and plant species, air, soil, water, weather, and landscape formations. Furthermore, it acknowledges the affective power of sounds themselves.

CANARIAS DC SOUNDWALK embraces listening as a creative act, a form of attention, and a tool to investigate the world. The project attempts to cultivate intimate sensory encounters that favour affectivity over signification and representation.

CANARIAS DC SOUNDWALK is a permanent public invisible artwork available through the Echoes app from September 2021 onwards.

LOCATIONS

Throughout Washington, D.C, the seven chosen locations to experience each piece of the itinerary are:

Theodore Roosevelt Island ~ HIERRO

The Fern Valley at the US National Arboretum ~ GOMERA

Dumbarton Oaks Park ~ PALMA

Potomac River Belvedere Viewpoint ~ TENERIFE

Glover Archbold Park ~ GRAN CANARIA

Kenilworth Park Aquatic Gardens ~ FUERTEVENTURA

Rock Creek Park ~ LANZAROTE

INSTRUCTIONS

CANARIAS DC SOUNDWALK is a location-based sound work. You will need a smartphone with an Android or iOS operating system.

1. Download the free ECHOES app on Google Play or App Store.

2. Plug in high-quality headphones. We do not recommend the use of wireless Bluetooth headphones as the compression degrades the audio quality.

3. Within the ECHOES app installed on your phone, navigate to the work CANARIAS DC SOUNDWALK. The audio artwork can run in real-time using your data plan. However, for optimal listening, we recommend that you pre-download the entire project to your phone before setting out to the locations.

4. Follow the map feature to arrive at your chosen destination.

5. Upon arriving at the destination, the audio will begin automatically, and you can listen while walking nearby or find a spot to sit down, relax and listen fully.

CANARIAS DC SOUNDWALK is meant to be a screenless aural experience. Explore! Enjoy.

CREDITS

A project by pablo sanz, commissioned and produced by the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain in Washington, D.C. Fieldwork and production assistance: Palma E. Christian Martínez. Additional support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI), the Swedish Arts Grants Committee (Konstnärsnämnden) and the Visby International Centre for Composers (VICC). Special thanks to Garajonay National Park, Teide National Park, and Timanfaya National Park.

https://www.spainculture.us/city/washington-dc/canarias-dc-soundwalk/