THE LIGHTS WHICH CAN BE HEARD – LE DERNIER SON DES AURORES
SÉBASTIEN ROBERT
Installation and visual art
The Lights Which Can Be Heard – Le dernier son des aurores is a research and creation project about the sound of the aurora borealis, which has long been witnessed by various indigenous communities in the Arctic. Despite the many accounts, the Western scientific community denied their existence for decades until some hypotheses about their origin began to surface in the 1950s, but are still debated today.
Some believe that the natural VLF (Very Low Frequency) radio waves produced by the aurora borealis can be perceived in the observer/listener’s environment. Some natural elements (minerals or crystals) would act as receivers and transform the radio waves (electromagnetic) into the audible spectrum (acoustic). Without rejecting any hypothesis, it is this last one that caught Sébastien’s attention for his project.
Despite successful recordings following a three-week residence on Andøya in Norway, Sébastien realised that the VLF waves emitted by the aurora are increasingly difficult to perceive because they are more and more drowned out by artificial signals. They are therefore bound to disappear. Inspired by this unique context, and in the continuity of his previous work, Sébastien is currently developing a body of work around this research, which will allow the audience to perceive the sounds of the aurora borealis while preserving them in light.
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Artist
Khalil Epi (FR)
Compositeur, multi-instrumentiste et artiste vidéo, Khalil Hentati (EPI) s’impose comme une figure centrale de la réinterprétation électronique contemporaine des musiques traditionnelles et populaires. Son univers sonore circule librement entre musique électronique, improvisée, club et savante, tissant des ponts entre héritage et modernité avec une cohérence et une émotion rares.
Aïchoucha, sa création immersive mêlant musique live et film documentaire qu’il a lui-même réalisé, a rencontré un succès critique et public retentissant — saluée par les artistes et les grandes institutions pour son approche singulière de la mémoire sonore nord-africaine. Son duo Aïta Mon Amour avec la chanteuse marocaine Widad Mjama a depuis tourné largement, portant leur vision de la musique populaire arabe contemporaine sur les scènes d’Europe et au-delà. Il est également membre de Frigya aux côtés du percussionniste Imed Alibi.
Au fil des années, il a collaboré avec un large spectre d’artistes, danseurs et musiciens — N3rdistan, Seydou Boro, Masrah el Khachaba, Arabstazy — à travers l’image, la danse contemporaine, l’animation, l’orchestration et l’arrangement lyrique. Il co-dirige le label franco-tunisien Shouka, et est co-fondateur de Mottamar, le Congrès arabe des musiques électroniques et innovantes.
Credits & mentions
Originally commissioned by STRP Festival
Creation realized in coproduction with the platform CHRONIQUES CREATIONS, supported by the DRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, the Région Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, the City of Marseille and the French Institute in Paris
With the financial support of Stroom Den Haag, DICRéAM, Fonds [SCAN] Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie
With the intellectual support of The Royal Library of the Netherlands, The Tromsø Geophysical Observatory, Fiona Armery (University of Cambridge), Rob Stammes (Polarlightcenter), Harald Gaski (University of Tromsø ), Hans Ragnar Mathisen and Matti Aikio
With the technical support of Lucien Nicou (design + production), Leandros Ntolas (light + optics), Pim Kerssemakers (metalwork), Mark IJzerman (TouchDesigner) and Zois Loumakis (hardware + software)
Under the artistic supervision of Jean-Emmanuel Rosnet
Initiated during the Arctic Wave residency (Andøya, NO)
Partner: Les Méjanes – Bibliothèque et Archives Michel Vovelle
