Ludwig Berger
Sonic Travel: Etna
Volcanic landscape and residents, 20 listeners & improvisers

A group was invited to embark on a week-long sonic travel to explore the naturecultural landscape of Mount Etna in Sicily. Starting from the volcano’s center and spiraling outwards, we investigated the environment through site-specific improvisations, deep listening exercises and experimental fieeld recording. We met local farmers, scientists and volcano lovers. We sensed how the topography, soil and microclimate create unique geographic zones with distinct vegetations, cultures and atmospheres. We experienced the volcano’s unique and contrasting capacities for destruction and fertility and observed the complex relationships between the surrounding settlements and the volcano, learning how lava stimulates other kind of relationships between human and non-human forces.

Singing Sicilian work songs in an abandoned quarry under Mount Etna with Matilde Ponti

Guests:
Dr. Boris Behncke, Vulcanologist (National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Catania)
Prof. Gianpietro Giusso del Galdo, Botanist (University of Catania)
Giuseppe Severini, Musicologist, musician and instrument maker (Randazzo)
Laura Lupo, pistacchio farmer (Bronte)
Maria Ausilia Borzi, olive & wine farmer (Nicolosi)
Fabrizio Busà, lemon farmer (Riposto)

Travel planning and course guide: Ludwig Berger

Team: Ludwig Berger, Fabian Gutscher, Luisa Overath, Myriam Uzor, Christophe Girot

Participants: Charlotte Arn, Joel Berger, Béla Dalcher, Dominic Deppeler, Sophia Garner, Fabio Indergand, Vinzenz Leuppi, Samuel Meury, Sofia Nava, Natalia Pieroni, Gereon Siévi, Ansgar Stadler, Qi Wang, Jonas Zacharias

Seminar Week, Spring 2022, Chair of Landscape Architecture Christophe Girot, ETH Zurich