“It’s in the air” – let air be our mentor was a two-year project initiated by soundpocket at Hong Kong House during the last Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale. Artists So Wai-Lam, Mark Chung Ching, and Jacklam Ho Tsz-yeung took part in a residency in Tsunan, a small town in Niigata Prefecture, Japan during 2018-2019, while soundpocket brought Sound Scoops to Tsunan to share sounds from Hong Kong with people living in or visiting the area.

:: Artist Residency ::

Located in the very south of Niigata Prefecture, Tsunan is a small town surrounded by the Japanese Alps with Shinano River running through it. There the artists were distant from the highly urbanized city and were able to soak themselves in nature. The artists shared the same air as the locals and let themselves drift along over the six-week long residency.

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So Wai-lam wandered around the Tsunan area and talked with the locals. People shared the sounds they hear in their neighbourhood. So collected their speaking and singing voices and what lies in between. In her original composition Sound Translator, So shared her discoveries and memories of Tsunan and this was aired on Tsunan public radio FMとおかまち.

About Sound Translator

Review by So Wai-lam

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Mark Chung Ching performed air flow experiments in Hong Kong House. The two-storey building was transformed from an exhibition space into an instrument. With wind passing through every gap, the windows and doors would sometimes whistle. Mark observed the movement of air and tried to make it audible and/or visible.

Experiment results

Review by Mark Chung Ching

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Jacklam Ho Tsz-yeung explored the possibility of developing and performing sounds with modular synthesizers in different spaces. After a number of tests, Jacklam decided to bring his Eurorack modular synthesizer and speakers to an abandoned swimming pool near Shinano River – sounds produced by the synthesizer echoed with the natural sounds of the sunken pool.

In the swimming pool

Review by Jacklam Ho Tsz-yeung

:: Sound Scoop ::

Sound Scoop connects the air in Hong Kong with the air in Tsunan through sound. The locals and visitors were invited to listen to sounds from Hong Kong and the in-situ sounds. People responded to their listening experiences through drawing, writing, and telling stories.

Sound Scoop @ Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2018

Sound Scoop @ Echigo-Tsumari Art Field 2019 Summer

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Artist Lulu Ngie’s creative response to Sound Scoop worksheets collected in Tsunan and So Wai-lam’s Sound Translator

「『就在空氣中』－讓空氣成為我們的導師」由聲音掏腰包於上一屆越後妻有大地藝術祭香港部屋發起，是一項為期兩年的計劃。藝術家蘇瑋琳、鍾正及何子洋分別於 2018 至 19 年期間前往日本新潟縣的津南進行駐留；聲音掏腰包則將「細聲公」帶到津南，跟當地居民及訪客分享來自香港的聲音。

:: 藝術家駐留計劃 ::

津南位於新潟縣的最南端，是一個被日本阿爾卑斯環繞的小鎮，為信濃川所貫穿。在那兒，藝術家們可以遠離高度城市化的都市，沉浸於大自然中。藝術家們與本地人呼吸著同樣的空氣，並讓自己在長達六週的駐留中隨意蹓躂。

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蘇瑋琳徘徊於津南地區，與當地人交談。人們與她分享了他們在鄰里聽到的聲音。蘇收集了他們說話和唱歌，以及兩者之間的聲音。蘇在其作品「聲音翻譯員」中分享了她在津南的發現和回憶，並於津南公共電台「FMとおかまち」中播出。

關於「聲音翻譯員」

蘇瑋琳的回顧

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鍾正在香港部屋進行了氣流實驗。這棟兩層的建築由展覽空間搖身一變成了樂器。當風穿過每個縫隙，窗戶和門有時會發出哨聲。鍾觀察了空氣的流動，並嘗試使其變成可聽見和／或可看見的形態。

實驗結果

鍾正的回顧

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何子洋發掘了在不同空間中使用模組化合成器製造聲音和演奏的可能性。經過屢次測試，何決定將他的模組化合成器和揚聲器帶到信濃川附近的廢棄游泳池 － 合成器產生之聲音與陷於地下的游泳池中之自然聲音互相呼應。

游泳池中

何子洋的回顧

:: 細聲公 ::

細聲公通過聲音將香港的空氣與津南的空氣連接起來，邀請當地居民及訪客聆聽香港和在地的聲音。人們通過繪畫、寫作和講故事來回應他們的聆聽經歷。

細聲公 @ 越後妻有大地藝術祭2018

細聲公 @ 越後妻有大地藝術祭2019夏祭

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藝術家倪鷺露就津南收集的「細聲公活動卡」及蘇緯琳的「聲音翻譯員」的回應創作