Architecture and the Senses Interdisciplinary Seminar and Audiovisual Performance 12–14 October 2018 Center for Architectural Heritage Plasy - National Technical Museum Plasy Monastery Monument

Open call for participation

Acoustics, much like light, or space, whether in the landscape or in architecture, actively influences our emotional state and our way of thinking. Sound orients us in both time and space, fine-tuning our social connections, constituting a discourse which we have begun to revisit only in the last few decades. As invisible as is radiation or microchemical contamination, acoustic pollution is a factor with a palpable impact on the crisis-state of today’s environment. We are inclined to underestimate its urgency, and have consistently failed to develop the political, social and technical tools to limit the broad impact of all forms of pollution, including acoustic pollution.

The goal of this interdisciplinary gathering of specialists and the interested public is to foster a discussion about the relationship between architecture, art, ethology, and social and environmental issues, to focus on intersections between aesthetics, ethics, acoustics of architecture, geometry, natural science, the humanities and art.

Sacral architecture has put a great deal of emphasis on spatial acoustics, resonance of human voice or musical instrument. The acoustics of the Baroque convent of the Plasy Monastery is an exceptional example of this forgotten art. The gathering will take place in Mathey's Hall, and is hosted by the Center for Architectural Heritage Plasy. It is open to heritage preservationists, architects, musicians, natural and humanist scientists, researchers, artists, as well as to the general public.

The framework expands the traditional understanding of the model of architecture as the sole realm intervening between the human species and its environment and strives to include an extra-human perspective, such as the architecture of animals, insects, or birds.

You are invited to propose a: lecture, workshop, short sound or audiovisual performance, sound walk. Please send short abstract including short CV to sound@agosto-foundation.org

The evening event at the Plasy Monastery convent is being prepared by students and teachers from the Center of Audiovisual Studies at FAMU (the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague), with the additional participation of the Department of Time-based Art at UJEP, Ústí nad Labem.

The event is being prepared in continuity with the launch of the Hermit Foundation Archive of the Center for Metamedia Plasy and the Soundworms Ecology Gathering of 2017, both part of the Agosto Foundations Mediateka, as well as the launch of the Czech translation of Raymond Murray Schafer’s book The New Soundscape.

The list of presenters includes architects, environmentalists, sociologist, natural scientists, artists and ecologists. A detailed program and list of confirmed participants will be announced on August 30.

The capacity of the seminar is limited by the capacity of the Mathey lecture hall.

Registration

To register write: sound@agosto-foundation.org

Entire symposium fee: 500Kč (discount: 250 Kč) Single day: 200Kč (discount: 100 Kč)

transfer to: Nadace Agosto Foundation: Komerční banka, a.s. Adres: Na Příkopě 33, čp. 969 114 07 Praha-1, Czech republic bank account: 107-5669780267/0100 IBAN: CZ7401000001075669780267 Swift (BIC): KOMBCZPPXXX

Contacts and Information

Concept: Miloš Vojtěchovský Contact: sound@agosto-foundation.org +420 608 571 881

Vít Bohal E-mail: sound@agosto-foundation.org Tel: +420 731 352 122

Radoslava Schmelzová E-mail: rschmelzova@gmail.com

Organizer: Agosto Foundation, Vojtěšská 196/18, 110 00 Praha 1 Co-organizer: Plasy sobě z.s. association

Cooperating institutions: Národní památkový ústav, Center for Building Heritage Plasy, FAMU, Faculty of Art and Design of the J.E. Purkyně University.

This project takes place with the financial support of the region of Plzeň.