KARLBARTOS.COM

21st April 2010

ONLINE AGAIN: audiohyperspace – SONIC ARTS IN NETWORKS AND DATA SPACES by Prof. Sabine Breitsameter

Sabine Breitsameter was appointed Professor for Sounddesign and Production/Media Arts and Sciences at the Faculty of Media, Hochschule Darmstadt/Germany in 2006. As an expert for sonic media art, experimental radio, electroacoustic art and design as well as for sound and media culture, she created numerous radio plays and radio documentaries mainly for German public radio ARD.

Tracing Audio Art in the Networks

Audiohyperspace emerged from a radio documentary, which I wrote and produced for SWR’s radio drama department in 1998. Its central topic was the early Internet and the research of its relationship to the auditory world and the sonic arts. One question out of many was: Which new, non-linear forms of producing as well as auditory appropriation of sonic arts will be supported and shaped by the Internet? Which different, maybe new artistic „audiovisions“ can be produced by using digital networks?

Based on the radio program, its questions and preliminary answers, a monthly website was developed, which was an official part of the SWR radio drama department. Most important was „This Month’s Audiolink“, where mainly independently produced netbased audioprojects, which were available online, were introduced and commented. One year later „The Interview“ was added, in which personalities from art, media, technology and culture conversed on Audiohyperspace topic’s questions.

Audiohyperspace was accompanied by four radio documentaries which were part of the regular SWR radio drama department’s on air program. One of its cores was the networked based sound installation, performance and audio piece „Frankensteins Netz. Prométhée Numérique. Wiretapping the Beast“ (2002) by US-American composer Atau Tanaka, together with Antoine Schmitt. This huge international collaboration was joined by e.g. SWR, ZKM, Radio-Canada, IAMAS, Goethe Institutes Tokyo and Montréal as well as numerous others.

Audiohyperspace’s topics moved from the Internet as audiomedia via participatory and interactive models of audio art and interface concepts towards user generated content strategies and its discussion.

By the end of November 2008 Audiohyperspace could not be any more operated by SWR, mainly due to changes of the law concerning the program use of the Internet for public broadcast, but, too, due to the fact that I had changed professionally to a university.

Therefore, I have started to operate Audiohyperspace independently. As before, I understand it as an audiomedial listening post within the networked data spaces of our time.

This website documents Audiohyperspace’s archives from 1998-2008, and makes its audiolinks and interviews accessible. Soon there will be regular actualizations, too.

Audiohyperspace was and is an unusual project for a cultural radio channel. My thanks go to the technicians and engineers of SWR, who worked on the radio works which came into being within the frame work of Audiohyperspace with enthusiasm and productive curiosity. My thanks also to Hans-Burkhard Schlichting, dramaturgue in chief of SWR radio drama department, who energetically initiated Audiohyperspace and was its editor.

My deep respect goes to the artists and to the audience of Audiohyperspace, whose critical or consenting interest and creative energy have been refreshing the project since its beginning. Many of them gave a clear statement, that Audiohyperspace must go on. Thanks for their inspiring support and their encouragement.

Last but not least, my thanks go the the mediateque of ZKM Karlsruhe and its offer to host Audiohyperspace in future.