Genius Loci

In Situ, The Belfry, St. John on Bethnal Green, London, UK, 2012


A project by Sebastian Kite & Will Laslett

Genius Loci (spirit of place) is a site specific work made in relation to the architecture of the church and belfry of St.John on Bethnal Green, London. The installation draws on sound recordings made in the church interiors where improvised acoustic experiments are incorporated into a multi-layered sound piece and projected into the belfry space. The soundscape is experienced in near-darkness, asking the viewer to contemplate the subtleties of the interaction between the sound composition, light and their relationship to the space with limited navigation.  seeks to capture the spirit of place

The sounds have been de-contextualised and re-situtated, causing disorientation as to their original source, context and their relationship to the Belfry. An example of this can be heard via the spatialised deconstruction and abstraction of Anton Bruckner’s Locus Iste - This Place. The installation is an experiment in kinaesthetic experience, limiting the use of some senses and emphasising the use of others, reconfiguring one’s orientation around the space.  

Live performances took place during the exhibition whereby a live feed from the main church hall transporting volumes of sound to the secluded belfry, connecting different spaces across the building and challenging notions of ‘liveness’ and sensory experience. 


Specification

Media: quadraphonic sound, live microphones, suspended tungsten bulb, brass, custom software and electronics



Credits

Voices: Toby O’Connor, Lara Karady, May Kersey, Beatrice Milner, Damien Taylor
Musicians: Ibrahim Aziz, Jennifer Bennett