Wildfires, by Stephan Crasneansci. Photo by Tbel
CORRESPONDENCES is an ever-evolving project between Soundwalk Collective and Patti Smith. Spanning over 10 years, it traverses a wealth of geographies and their natural environments, where the artists have uncovered sonic steps left by poets, filmmakers, revolutionaries and impact of climate change.
Soundwalk Collective’s founder, Stephan Crasneanscki, has explored, captured and collected the world’s remotest places in sound to awaken a sonic memory within the landscape, uncovering traces of past and current histories of the world we are living in. The resulting compositions are made of sound that reflect our relation to this world, the environment, the soul of our existence, and the creative process of the artist.
Initially composed as long travelling shots, soundtracks to an invisible movie, Stephan brought these recordings to Patti Smith, giving her new landscapes to channel her poetic vision. This ongoing resonance between the artists – which started during a chance encounter on a plane – has been shaped by their correspondences: ongoing conversations with the intention of reflecting on life and nature.
For CORRESPONDENCES, their collaboration focuses on eight unique pieces that revert the relationship of sound to image. Sound came first, and only then would imagery be found to tell the music’s story, visually edited to each soundtrack. From a collaboration with TBA21-Academy exploring the destructive impact of seismic airguns and human interventions in the oceans, to the resilience of Nature in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, to the decentralized societies envisioned by Peter Kropotkin, to the wastelands of Pasolini’s last night: the pieces presented become thought-provoking audiovisual journeys.
Featuring live films and director’s cuts, ‘Correspondences’ is performed by Soundwalk Collective’s Stephan Crasneanscki and Simone Merli, Patti Smith, Diego Espinosa Cruz Gonzalez, Lucy Railton, Nicolas Becker and Leonardo Heiblum. Visuals by Pedro Maia.
2023
March 9
Rewire Festival, The Hague
March 15
Volksbuhne, Berlin
July 24
Teatro Colon, Bogota
October 26
Rustaveli Theatre, Tbilisi
2024
February 28
FIM, Guadalajara
March 1
Teatro de la Ciudad, Mexico City
March 14+15
Onassis Stegi, Athens
March 23
CCB, Lisbon
March 24
Teatro Circo, Braga
May 3
BAM, NYC
Live Sound Engineering: Sebastian Bureau
Stage Management: Elena Origliasso, Iulia Podkolzina
Photography: Parcifal Werkman, Frankie Casillo, Masha Demianova
SOUNDWALK COLLECTIVE