MTF Labs Aveiro

Live Soundscapes Lagoon Project

”The Aveiro Lagoon is beyond a mere geographical feature of Portugal. This 45 kilometres (28 mi) long lagoon stands as one of Europe’s last remaining untouched coastal marshland. It is also a haven for numerous bird species. The locals call this rich lagoon Ria de Aveiro. Tourism and aquaculture are the mainstay of the Aveiro Lagoon region. It is also renowned for its artisan fishing and as a center for the collection of Flor de sal, an expensive salt variety.” (Wikipedia)

Sound artist Grant Smith (UK) runs the Creative Europe-funded Acoustic Commons: a global project that develops DIY tech and participatory frameworks that use sound as a way to think collectively about environments, intangible cultural heritage and public space. The Acoustic Commons is part of a partnership with UN Live and indigenous groups.

Grant mapped and created a live-streamed performance of the Soundscape of the Aveiro lagoons, directly into Teatro Aveirense to a live audience. He created a unique sonic signature of Aveiro for the theatre stage with new ways of producing sounds using a combination of recordings and existing digital technologies. This intervention enabled audiences participating remotely to experience the Aveiro Lagoon soundscape.

Grant led the research investigations into the Aveiro Lagoon by the labs participants, and his work influenced the thinking of several other groups, particularly the Artificial Life and Third Sonorous Body projects.

He has documented this work in a written account of his concept, published on: http://www.self-noise.net/sal_tal_qual/salt_pan_stream.html.

Drone footage of the wetlands of the Laguna de Aveiro, one of Europe’s last remaining untouched coastal marshland captured by the official film maker of the MTF Labs Aveiro Nuno Barbosa. The wetlands thrive with life and have resident citizens, however this zone is not completely represented on human-drawn maps, such as Google Maps (see map and satellite image below).