J. Scriba

media art

Bach_10k

transforms the huge disused gas storage tank in Augsburg, Germany, into an ever-changing soundscape. The hypnotic swing of the Foucault pendulum sets the beat for a very slow rendition of Bach's prelude in C.

Chords build up note by note conducted by this gargantuan metronome. At a pace of one note every 17 seconds the piece runs about 10,000 seconds. That's how the project got it's name.
Starting and ending in pure C-major the progression through tensed or even dissonant chords can be felt bodily as organ pipes make the air inside the towering steel cylinder resonate.

As the planet revolves, seemingly making the pendulum change its orientation in space the harmonies follow their tracks hidden in time.

The acoustic part of the sound sculpture was constructed by the Munich-based organ builder Markus Harder-Völkmann. Although the ensemble of free-standing pipes looks rather unorthodox, the technology used to manufacture it adheres to traditional organ-building methods. The sophisticated electro-pneumatic valves are built to withstand years of continuous use in the extremely variable climatic conditions of the unisolated metal structure.

We bought used pipes from dismantled church organs, some may be up to 100 years old. Combining several original stops we constructed an instrument spanning almost six octaves.

In their new incarnation the former church organ pipes have become a unique sound source transforming the 84m-high gasometer into an instrument you can walk into.