On 2 May, Liebig12 organised a day dedicated to listening to and exploring soundscapes in Friedrichshain and beyond.
Led by Peter Cusack, a group of around 22 people explored the streets, parks and wastelands of this lively neighbourhood.
During the sound walk, attention was paid to the influence of the built environment on sound. The typical Berlin cobblestone paving produced a rumbling sound from passing vehicles, whilst the numerous children’s playgrounds added their own sounds. The walk ended at Villa Kuriosum, a fantastic communal garden with hidden nooks and seating areas, from where the urban panorama sounded like a distant hum. Up close, we were serenaded by nightingales, and the garden was unique for its collection of medicinal and poisonous plants with unusual inflorescences.
In the evening, we immersed ourselves in live audio streams from all over the world: singing whales in Patagonia, chattering bats in Thuringia, and the murmur of birds on the Groningen Wadden Sea coast.
At 11 pm, everyone headed home feeling satisfied, after a day full of listening, discovering and connecting.
