In the framework of the Ö1 focus "Nebenan: Georgien Erkundungen in Europas Nachbarschaft" Kunstradio contributes with the new radio mix Bunker Fairy Tale and Morse Code Composition by the Lebanese artist Cynthia Zaven.



Bunker Fairy Tale and Morse Code Composition are both compositions that are inspired by alternate means of communication: one that is based on phonetic alphabet, the other on Morse Code. Both pieces use particular systems of communication and both (the phonetic alphabet and Morse Code) serve to communicate over long distances, based on a universal code of communication that is intended to avoid any miscommunication. It is aimed at establishing clarity within chaos and uncertainty. These two pieces are inspired by works of literature that deal with identifying a geographical, moral and emotional compass in times of crisis. They are transcribed into these universal codes to assume the language of distress signals, normally reserved for military use.

Bunker Fairy Tale is an imagined conversation between Alice (from the novel Alice in Wonderland) and Peter Pan, inside the radio communication room of a bunker built during the cold war, where Alice finds herself after falling through the rabbit hole:

The conversation is as follows:

Alice: Excuse me, I was just wondering if you could help me find my way

PP: Well, that depends on where you want to go. You can take one step back, then another step back, then all the way to yesterday.

A: But I can’t go back to yesterday, I was a different person then!

PP: So you’re completely lost. Where do you want to get to?

A: It really doesn’t matter

PP: Then it really doesn’t matter which way you go.

Created in 2013, the work is a 12 channel sound installation that was originally exhibited in Tito’s bunker in Konjiç, a mountainous area in the former Yugoslavia.

Morse Code Composition that follows is based on a quote by the American writer William Faulkner:

“...And that sin and love and fear are just sounds that people who never sinned nor loved nor feared have for what they never had and cannot have until they forgot the words.”
.- -. -.. / - .... .- - / ... .. -. / .- -. -.. / .-.. --- ...- . / .- -. -.. / ..-. . .- .-. / .- .-. . / .--- ..- ... - / ... --- ..- -. -.. ... / - .... .- - / .--. . --- .--. .-.. . / .-- .... --- / -. . ...- . .-. / ... .. -. -. . -.. / -. --- .-. / .-.. --- ...- . -.. / -. --- .-. / ..-. . .- .-. . -.. / .... .- ...- . / ..-. --- .-. / .-- .... .- - / - .... . -.-- / -. . ...- . .-. / .... .- -.. / .- -. -.. / -.-. .- -. -. --- - / .... .- ...- . / ..- -. - .. .-.. / - .... . -.-- / ..-. --- .-. --. --- - / - .... . / .-- --- .-. -.. ... / .-.-.-

Each letter of the quote was transcribed to Morse Code and then to short and long notes for flute. The writing process was an attempt to transfer an emotional situation from mind to paper, then allow musicians to improvise on it.

Flute: Alessandra Rombolà
Accordion: Esteban Algora

Links:

Bunker Fairy Tale
Morse Code Composition
Ö1 Nebenan – Erkundungen in Europas Nachbarschaft: Libanon

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