Tracing different ghostly sounds in Berlin and Chisinau, the artist and performer Lindi Dedek moonlights as the medium between the audience and ghosts. This soundscape composition explores questions such as what is a ghost and how does it relate to us? Were cities ever made by or for humans? How can sound unlock the portal to non-human perceptions? Oscillating between fact and fiction, Lindi sets on interactive ghosts walks in Chisinau and Berlin, on the “heard-out” for spectral noises that encapsulate the haunting of our times.
“Listening with ghosts” is an immersive after-dark sonic performance walk and a soundscape composition hosted by ghosts and humans. Since the beginning of sound recording, humans have been obsessed with recording ghost sounds.
Coming from popular American ghost city tours, folklore ghost storytelling as well as Marc Fisher’s hauntology and post-humanist feminism, the format takes the participants to several locations (1-3 ) in Chisinau and asks them to mutually share ghost stories, and search for different ghost sounds. Between playful and chilling tone, my aim with this project is to sensitize the listeners to the more-than-human sounds around us. I’d like to make us think about how we can make room for ghosts and honor them in our present and future cities. Depending on the audience group, we might delve into problematic histories such as the colonial “Africa conference” in Berlin or Soviet occupation in Chisinau, as well as dubious gentrifying city planning for the future, that leave less and less space for both humans and non-humans.
For my character study as a g-host, I’ve been experimenting with different ways to alter my singing voice (with the help of my vocal teacher) and disengaging from my own humanness. The pinnacle of the performance/tour is planned as a gathering on a particular ghost location, where we host a ghost meal, and “find” a final mixtape.
Listen to Ghost Tour
Taking the notion of sound as disembodied yet agential, the final mixtape presents a soundtape composition from various places in Berlin such as Siemensstadt, Messedam tunnel, Romani Holocaust memorial or Bethanienhaus that are considered haunted.
Photos: Jeremy Knowles, Alicia Delgado, Katya Romanova
