Kristina Melbø Valvik: Echo Location

The project is inspired by a conversation with a friend as we were having a dip in the sea on a hot summer’s day. We talked about whales and how noise pollution interferes with their navigation and movements in the ocean. Whales are one of many marine species that rely on whistling and echolocation to survive. Echolocation is a technique that uses reflected sound to determine the location of an object. Today, ocean waters are a tumult of engine noise that prevents the whales from hearing the echoing pulses that locate their prey and friends. I found the whales to be a good starting point to reflect around the ocean, sound, technology, and outdoor art works. The partition of Echolocation in two words, Echo and Location, allows the project to look further and embrace larger concepts, with my interest in day-to-day life and developing site-specific work in unconventional spaces. Within the Transmission project, I will work with the sound aspect of performing arts. I will use Brandon Labelle’s research on sound culture and locational identities as a vessel to be unpacked with “theater-like” strategies where curating itself is staged, dramatized, choreographed, and composed.

The project aims to be situated at the intersection between disciplines, and have technology and bio art as a curatorial focus. Since it is at its very beginning, I envision my time at Onassis AiR to be research-oriented, providing an opportunity to get to know the Athenian performing arts scene. In addition, the time in Athens will be used to prepare the residency collaboration between Onassis and BIT Teatergarasjen.

Kristina Melbø Valvik is an Onassis AiR Fellow within the framework of the Transmissions project, that is supported by the EEA Grants and the Norwegian Financial Mechanisms 2014-2021.