FERD (Journey)

FERD is a sound installation commisioned by and especially made for Atelier Nord as part of the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival 2022. The work draws its inspiration from the sonic environments of trains and stations. Visitors are invited to embark on an imaginary journey along the railway line from station to station, country to country, through a multichannel sound composition transmitted through 26 speakers in the characteristic gallery space of Atelier Nord at Grünerløkka in Oslo, Norway.

Distance is an imaginary notion on the train. Far-away places are imprinted on the body and mind as memories and through the palpable world of the senses. In FERD, listeners are exposed to a continuous yet imaginary sonic journey around the world through announcements from train lines and stations. Cities and sites come together, creating a soundscape inspired by the hypnagogic state between dream and being awake that can occur when spending slow time on the train. An ambient soundscape surrounds the voice announcements. Sound textures of varying duration merge at different times, creating a range of slowly evolving sound qualities. At the same time, the reassuring voice of the announcements acts as a kind of messenger, letting us know about any delays, departures, arrivals, exits to the left and exits to the right, about gaps and glitches of passed and upcoming events, and, ultimately about arriving at our final destination.

Installation photos: Istvan Virag / KUNSTDOK. Photos with audience: Atelier Nord and Maia Urstad

SOUND AND SPEAKERS
The work is composed of sound recordings from train stations and -travels from many countries, as well as other recorded/found sounds.
A 22-channel sound work is played back from 26 speakers in 3 different positions / layers;
- 10 speakers of various form and (low) quality are mounted in the ceiling and fixed on a pole in the back of the room, playt back voice announcements in different languages from trains and - stations
- 8 floor speakers in custom made wodden boxes, diffuse a droney, ambient soundscape from various sound sources,a
- 8 wall speakers in custom made wodden boxes mounted on columns in the space, contain texture texture based sounds, melodic elements, clicks & "errors, some percussive sounds, tones, surprises...

PRESS REVIEWS AND INTERVIEWS
KUNSTAVISEN: «Atelier Gare du Nord» by editor Mona Gjessing. Norwegian website for daily art reviews, news, interviews and art-related material-
SIMON CUMMINS, «5:4 – a blog devoted to the most interesting, innovative and impressive music of our time»
P---L - PUTE OG LORGNETT: «Maia Urstad, Atelier Nord» by art critic Andreas Breivik and graphic designer Markus Langen. P—L is a Norwegian website for art criticism.
KLASSEKAMPEN, PERSPEKTIV, 08.10.2022. Norwegian daily newspaper of the Left.
NRK P2 "SPILLEROM”, Contemporary music program on Norwegian Broadcasting. By Marion Hestholm.

PREVIEWS:
KUNSTKRITIKK - BY Stian Gabrielsen on upcoming exhibitions autumn 2022». Kunstkritikk is a Nordic journal of contemporary art.
BALLADE. Interview with director of Ultima Festival 2022 Thorbjørn Tönder on upcoming events. Ballade.no is a Norwegian online publication for and about contemporarey Norwegian music.

EXHIBIITON INFORMATION:
Exhibiiton venue: Atelier Nord, Olav Ryes Plass 2, Oslo, Norway
Exhibiiton period: 16.09 – 30.10.22,
Opening hours: Thursday and Friday 15–18, Saturday and Sunday 12–17.
Curator and director of Atelier Nord: Ida Lykken Ghosh
Texts, information and publication layout: Nicholas Norton
Publication text: Espen Sommer Eide
Exhibition Coordinator: Joakim Blattmann Moldestad
Mounting technicians: Joakim Blattmann Moldestad, Øystein Wyller Odden, Hans xx, Vebjørn Guttormsgaard Møllberg
Custrom made wall speaker boxes (2014): David A. Rios / Volt v/ Marie Nerland
Custom made floor speaker boxes (2022): Joakim Blattmann, Øystein Wyller Odden, Fellesverkstedet Oslo

SUPPORT
FERD is commissioned and produced by Atelier Nord, and is part of the Ultima Festival 2022.
Supported by Arts Council Norway. Thanks to Lydgalleriet, NOTAM and Kunstskolen i Bergen for generous assistance.

FERD builds on experiences from the sound installation Night Journey developed for a sleeping car during the sound art biennial Struer Tracks 2019.