H.E.I. Cologne

Water and land, nature and culture, a current party zone and echoes of an industrial past – the sounds of all of these can be explored on an interactive soundwalk. Or perhaps the point is what they might sound like? The concept which Sibylle Hauert and her team originally tested on the Klybeckquai in Basel and have now transposed to Cologne’s Rheinauhafen may cause confusion in the walk’s participants: their headphones emit noises and compositions which may be perfectly matched to the surroundings they are currently passing through, or they might suggest totally different soundscapes. The sounds are controlled via geolocation and a sophisticated software which reacts to even the smallest movements of the head. The difference between what participants see and hear creates a new hyper-reality; the question of what is real and what is virtual continuously poses itself. Ultimately, the question is: how does our perception work; how do we construct reality?

In cooperation with the Music Academy, the Polytechnic of North-Western Switzerland (FHNW), the Technical University Berlin and the Cologne Academy of Media Arts.

Opening hours of the box office during the festival: Mon to Sun 12 pm to 8 pm. Please note that only card payments are accepted, not cash. Due to the limited amount of headphone sets, we recommend booking the time slot of your choice via our website.