Since October 2020 Doors of Listening has been a part of the permanent collection in Het Klankenbos. The polyphonic sound installation was created by the families, children and residents of the refugee shelter in the border town of Pelt (BE), together with the international artist Félix Blume. This work has now inspired the publication of a book with the same name, that broadens and deepens the residents' stories and reflects on their experience during the making of the artwork.
The book can be purchased at a price of €15. Order your copy HERE.
About 'Doors of Listening'
The sound installation 'Doors of Listening' is a collection of a dozen doors, in the middle of the forest. Silently they stand there waiting, until you put your ear against one of them. Suddenly they come alive with the sounds that were collected and created by the residents of the refugee shelter in Pelt.
During an extensive collaboration, the families, children and residents at the shelter were inspired and motivated to express themselves through sound. The doors provide them with a literal space and voice in the environment.
With this work, sound artist and field recordist Félix Blume invites every visitor to listen and reflect. Through the recorded sounds you encounter people who may already be long gone, moved to another place. It is a way to connect on an intimate level with their personal experience.
About the book
The book 'Doors of Listening' expands on the story of the shelter's residents. How and why did they arrive in Belgium? How do they experience their stay in Pelt, where all their personal trajectories, memories and aspirations come together? The book becomes a road map leading you past poems, interviews and improvisations, traditional fairytales and made-up games. Some of the stories are simple, some are more complex. Every text is a personal reflection on a life in exile, a life on the road. Together with researcher Christos Carras and artist Félix Blume the residents ponder the power of collaboration through art, and the deeper meaning hidden within that can even transcend the artwork itself.
A project by: Abeer, Ahmad, Bashir, Dieubéni, Familia Kadicana, Farhad, Getou Kabika Tshingambu, Gerebrhan, Isaac Junior, Manuel, Mila, Najem Alhamoud, Patricia Abigail, Rejoice, Safet, Sali, Sebastián, Yasin Dawoud en Félix Blume.
Additional essays contributed by Christos Carras and Maud Seuntjens.
Félix Blume (FR) is an international sound artist and sound engineer. His work is focused on the act of listening itself and uses sound as a raw material for compositions, video's, actions and installations. His work is often created through interaction and participation with local communities, and uses the public space as a frame of reference.
Author: Félix Blume
ISBN: 978-94-64332-26-1
Pages: xxx
Publication date: August 31 2021
Language: Dutch-English
The book is for sale at €15 (excl. shipping)