‣THREE QUESTIONS FOR HEIKO WOMMELSDORF

You’ve been in Chemnitz (travelling) for a few weeks now:
What are your impressions of the city? Did you notice anything in particular? Why? What differences do you see compared to your home cities of Dresden and Hamburg, for example?

Heiko: “Chemnitz was a blank slate for me. I didn’t know the label Raster-Noton or Raster-Media and nothing else apart from the events of 2018. Compared to Hamburg, the extreme vacancy rate here on Sonnenberg is an absolute extreme. There are no vacancies in Hamburg and entire houses are empty here. Nevertheless, I got to know Chemnitz with enthusiasm. The “Gegenwarten/Presences” exhibition and the “Hang zur Kultur” event were part of my first week in Chemnitz. There was also a wonderful bike tour through Chemnitz with the kerbside lobby and a warm introduction to Galerie Borssenanger and Galerie OSCAR in Weltecho.”

As part of the 2020 Von Sinnen dialogue fields, you are devoting yourself to the sense of hearing: are there any impressions that you draw from the Sonnenberg in particular? What are they specifically? How are these reflected in your work?

Heiko: “I’ve been working as a sound installation artist since 2007. My focus has long been on the sounds of urban space, although I very rarely exhibit outside of a gallery/museum. I position ventilation/air conditioning systems, radiators, fluorescent tubes or drops of water in downpipes in exhibitions. I am therefore delighted to have been invited to work directly in an urban space. With a decibel meter in my hand, I have taken many walks through the neighbourhood, and the results of my tours will be presented from 31 October.”

Can you give us a brief preview of the resulting work? What can visitors to the presentation week from 31 October to 6 November look forward to?

Heiko: “In my work “Schallleistungspegel Chemnitz-Sonnenberg”, the ticking of traffic lights, the humming of ventilation systems, the whirring of electricity boxes and other noise generators in public spaces are measured. A sticker informs passers-by that there is something to hear here. To find the places where I measured and labelled the sound power level on the Sonnenberg, you get a map of the neighbourhood with markings and further information.”