The sound installation ‘Verre’ consists of sound transducers placed on large glass windows, exciting the actual glass surface with sounds of breaking ice. The cracking and bursting sounds of the ice emphasize the physical qualities of glass, inviting the audience to engage in a tangible experience through listening.
The sounds recorded for ‘Verre’ were made during the winter of 2017 at nature reserve Bourgoyen-Ossemeersen in Ghent (BE), within a short time span when temperatures dropped below freezing point. Specific sound was captured with contact microphones, while pressing the ice surface carefully. The shifting pressure caused the ice to crack and burst, provoking a spontaneous composition of subtle and disruptive sounds.
By using transducers on glass, the sounds of ‘Verre’ can be heard on both sides of the surface. When the composition is performed on large windows in a building, the sounds can be heard inside as well as outside. Depending on the location, the audience is invited to explore the indoor and outdoor performance of the sounds of ‘Verre’.
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In her artistic practice, Inge van den Kroonenberg explores the physical qualities of sound through spatial installations, field recordings and performances. Her work has a minimalistic approach and is characterized by an openness in which the listener is invited to explore sound as a happening in between ecological and cultural environments.