Forgotten Sounds Project

Celebrating the music of the natural world

“For billions of years, our planet has been alive with sound. When we listen playfully, we can still encounter sonic vibrations older than terrestrial life, layered with the harmonies and cacophonies of the modern world.

Every sound has a story. Follow it.” (David G. Haskell)

I’ve always wanted to combine my art and my music, and with this project I want to give voice to nature.

This is a collaborative art project in three parts, what I do, what you do, what we share.

What I do: The artwork

I wanted to find sustainable materials, I didn’t want to paint using anything containing chemicals or plastic, and I found a magical process, anthotype.

An anthotype is an image created using photosensitive material from plants. The process involves exposing a positive image on a surface coated with vegetable pigments to UV light in order to create a print. The parts exposed to the light will be bleached out while the covered parts retain the pigment.

Each single print from this project will be a slide in an animation and I will be giving them away to the participants of this project.

What you do: Find the pods

From December 2022 to April 2023 I will hide my letters, wrapped inside a tiny pod, and post the coordinates and clues on this website. All participants will get the details to find their unique pod and will be gifted the associated anthotype print from the Forgotten Sounds series. There will be around 30 available before the end of March.

To reveal the unique clues and co-ordinates of each pod go to their associated page and enter your name and email address on the form. To choose your pod (and print) please click here.

Participants will be invited to pause and listen to the surroundings where they find the pod, and let me know what they heard, what they felt.

If you have any questions of how this works please email me on ana@heart4earth.com

Stop and listen

When you find the pods I ask you to stop for a few minutes, pour your attention into your ears, forage for sound, appreciate the sonic creativity of this planet, so rich and so varied! Tap your body and soul back into the Earth.

Share the experience

What did you hear? what did you sense? how did you feel?
I will collect your feedback which will become part of the complete project.

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The complete project will be presented at the Cultural Conversations art hub in Nelson on the 22nd April 2023, Earth Day. Artwork will be given on the day of this event.

I will also be demonstrating how to print using the anthotype method. There will also be poetry, and a demonstration of music composition using sounds from nature.

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This is an art project by Ana Solo.