Sebastian Dingens
WHAT WAS, IS
With his sound recording equipment, Sebastian ventured into the Stokvelde neighbourhood in search of past pastimes, forgotten memories and new dreams. Because a neighbourhood made of bricks and mortar comes to life through its residents. What stories are hidden in a street, a house, a square, or the community life of a neighbourhood? The result is a sound installation at the intersection of memory, recollection and landscape.
Sebastian talks about the neighbourhood, his creative process, and the guided tour he presented around his work.
I often start from the landscape, so my first introduction to this neighbourhood was via the satellite map on Google Maps. At first glance, the image struck me as very 'Mondrian-esque', with lots of angular shapes and symmetrically laid out streets. The first time I physically came here, I immediately found it cosy; a kind of 'it's okay here' feeling. I also spontaneously thought of the film director David Lynch. The wide streets, the many houses in the same style, the feeling that a lot is happening here without you seeing it.
During my work process, I took the time to get a feel for the neighbourhood, the houses, the streets, the trees, but above all the residents. The biggest danger as an artist is that you pretend to be omniscient and do something along the lines of 'voilà, this is your neighbourhood and this (the work) is for you'. I find that very distasteful.
I hope that I can contribute to the local residents seeing their neighbourhood in a slightly different light, and that they continue to do so afterwards. That it refreshes the collective memory and brings the somewhat forgotten storytelling culture back into the spotlight. Nowadays, people often live between their car and their front door, very individually. If I can get people to think about that, I'll be very satisfied!
During the tour, I take people on a sound walk. My discipline is sound. I hear the same sounds as everyone else, but we are often unaware of what we
are hearing. That's what I want to work with.
BIO
Sebastian Dingens (born 1983) studied classical music, audiovisual arts and communication sciences. His work balances between sound research, composition and performance. Using field recordings, he studies the landscape and observes human relationships. He delves into inaudible sounds in the water, mechanical vibrations in the earth and electromagnetic radiation in the air. In this way, he creates a new world with sound, with its own internal logic and structure. Sebastian also works as an audio post-producer, radio maker and musician, designs educational projects and is a member of various musical collectives.
