Normanhurst Station

8 ECHOES

Sydney

This locative audio project links my local train station and the daily commute with reflections on the corona virus outbreak of 2020 and a meditation of the sometimes bizarre and disturbing audio culture of the Sydney Trains PA systems. Don’t take this too seriously, it’s aim is to get you listening, but it might also make you stop and think. Is the language of train announcements in Sydney a reflection of creeping authoritarianism that we have all participated in since September 11 2001 and Australia’s involvement in a 20 year-long war of revenge in Afghanistan and the subsequent civil war in Syria? Does our broad acceptance of stringent lock-downs to control the spread of the virus reflect our fearful and obedient public culture more broadly? Are the liberties that we cherish and that allow us to enjoy the beauty and order of our city under threat? What if we were to succumb to the populist attractions of a Trump, Erdogan, Modi or Putin? Should we pay more attention to our national politics if the voice of our public utilities normalises the insinuations of authority, coercion and control? Enjoy your walk on the platforms and overpass at Normanhurst station, and enjoy your trip!