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Triggered By Motion takes on Bangalore

Who’s calling, can you hear? is a sound art installation that revolves around the cultural life of chimpanzees in the UNESCO Natural Heritage Site at Mount Nimba in West Africa. The chimpanzees are endangered worldwide and their habitat in the Nimba Mountains is threatened by mining, poaching and deforestation. The installation artistically conveys the importance of a holistic approach to conservation strategies. It is part of the exhibition project Triggered by Motion.

Anthropologist Kathelijne Koops has been using camera traps for almost two decades to research the tool use and material culture of the great apes in the Nimba Mountains in West Africa. The Swiss composer and artist Nicolas Buzzi takes up these research questions and gives the chimpanzees of Nimba an artistic voice by processing the recorded video fragments. The sound installation Who’s calling, can you hear? projects video fragments of drumming chimpanzees onto a screen in a darkened room and replaces the soundtrack with an orchestrated version of their calls and chants. 

Supplemented by ambient sounds, the installation conveys the disappearance of ecosystems and encourages visitors to reflect on questions relevant to nature and species conservation. The installation is part of the exhibition project Triggered by Motion, which creates an interdisciplinary connection between research and art.

Collaborators

Swissnex
Science Gallery Bengaluru
Kathelijne Koops – Anthropology Professor at the University of Zurich
Nicolas Buzzi – Composer, performer and sound artist

Location

Science Gallery Bengaluru

Duration

from November 28th 2023