"In contrast to my former scientific practice I wish to approach my surroundings in a more inclusive way than is customary in the academic realm. Due to its immersive quality I developed a preference for sound and sound related tools for my artistic explorations. I listen to my surroundings through field recordings; I listen to traces of oral tradition through research. By juxtaposing results of that listening practice with scientific insights, I aim for a more heterogeneous understanding of the world in and around us.
My general interest is the nature of place and time, with a current focus on ‘liminal’ places (wetlands, bogs, drainage basins, tidal flats, etc.). This concern is rooted in what has gradually become a search for ‘primal’ sound. It started with a sonic exploration of the overexploited landscape in the area I live, followed by a sonic (re)construction of the pristine version of that same place. After delving into historical depths, the search for sonic origin currently continues by listening to the earth itself, especially in liminal places that are neither land nor water.
My performative contribution revolves around a video entitled ‘Meerstalblok’. The title refers to one of the last remnants of the bog landscape that once covered large parts of the Netherlands. The piece emerged from listening to the bog itself, as if it was an oracle, in the hope to unveil some of the ancient wisdom that these millennia old bodies potentially contain. Next to the field excursions I ‘listened’ to stories specific to the site, in particular those that give account of sound observations. The video combines fragments of these bog related folk tales with images and subsurface sounds of the bog remnant, with the aim to convey a liminal experience. It is one of my attempts to explore whether this ‘liminality’ could fulfill an insatiable desire for primal sound. Above all, it is a plea for the act of listening, start of any great conversation."

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