Loud Listening #002: Through The Sound Of Murano Glass

Loud Listening # 002 is an artistic initiative, but also a promotional proposal for Murano Glass in the innovative field of a cultural and alternative tourism. The project has been realised thanks to the help of Camera di Commercio di Venezia and it is an experiment of sonic exploration, which was born to investigate the “sound landscape” or “soundscape” of industrial realities, in this case of Murano glass production. The initiative has been assigned to Archivio Italiano Paesaggi Sonori, an association which promotes the culture of soundscape, represented by the sound artists Alessio Ballerini, Enrico Coniglio and Attilio Novellino. One of the outputs of the initiative is going to be a “sound map” of Murano glass production with a particular attention to the sound of traditional Murano glass production’s activites. Artistic Residence From the 28th to the 30th of January 2014, during the artistic residence in Murano, the sound artists began to record all sounds of Murano glass production in the furnaces and laboratories associated with Promovetro, which took part to the initiative: - F.lli Barbini (mirrors laboratory) - Simone Giovanni Cenedese Murano (furnace) - La Perla Veneziana (beads laboratory) - Alessandro Mandruzzato (grinding laboratory) - Seguso Gianni (furnace) - Signoretto Lampadari (furnace) - Vetreria Zanetti (furnace) In order to have a wider general view of the different sounds of Murano glass production, Promovetro has tried to involve furnaces, engraving and flameworking laboratories, and grinding laboratories. The sounds of Murano’s furnaces; fire, rods, the voices of glass masters, glass changing its form… Silence, sounds and noise. The magic world of Murano Glass’ furnaces, becomes music. Film The whole experience has been documented in a film, which focuses its attention on the most important moments of the work, also through some interviews given by the glass masters during their work.