The Bonn City Sound Artists 2023 Roswitha von den Driesch and Jens-Uwe Dyffort, sponsored by the Beethoven Foundation for Art and Culture of the Federal City of Bonn, took part in the 2022 research excursion to the Atacama Desert with biologists, geologists and climate researchers from the international CRC1211 collaborative research project "Earth Evolution at the dry limit".

Jens-Uwe Dyffort was able to record a variety of sounds of rock fractures. These recordings now form an essential part of their current sound installation "Taubes Gestein / Maltreated Rocks", which can currently be experienced at the SACO Art Biennial 1.1 in the Museo Ruinas de Huanchaca (Antofagasta). This also led to many interesting discussions, especially with Prof. Eduardo Campos / Universidad Católica del Norte (Antofagasta), whom Jens-Uwe Dyffort was able to accompany as a passenger in the car during the 2022 research excursion.

The sound installation "Taubes Gestein / Maltreated Rocks" (2023) can be experienced at the Museo Ruinas de Huanchaca (Antofagasta) until September 15, 2023.

Based on conversations with Prof. Dr. Cristina Dorador / Universidad de Antofagasta and her research on the microbial activity of salt deserts in northern Chile, Roswitha von den Driesch and Jens-Uwe Dyffort were able to make sound recordings during an excursion with her to the Atacama Desert on June 23, 2023. To do this, they installed small microphones under the crusty surface of the earth that acoustically recorded the activity of the ground overnight. Some of the recordings and impressions of the landscape have been incorporated into their current sound installation "Distant Water" in the Kurfürstliches Gärtnerhaus Bonn.

The sound installation "Entferntes Wasser" can be experienced until September 24, 2023, during the Beethovenfest at the Kurfürstliches Gärtnerhaus Bonn.

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Die Bonner Stadtklangkünstler 2023 Roswitha von den Driesch und Jens-Uwe Dyffort, gefördert von der Beethovenstiftung für Kunst und Kultur der Bundesstadt Bonn nahmen an der Forschungsexkursion 2022 in die Atacama-Wüste mit Biologen, Geologen und Klimaforschern des internationalen Sonderforschungsprojekts CRC1211 „Earth Evolution at the dry limit“ teil.

Jens-Uwe Dyffort konnte dabei vielfältige Klänge von Gesteinsbrechungen aufnehmen. Diese Aufnahmen bilden jetzt einen wesentlichen Teil ihrer aktuellen Klanginstallation “Taubes Gestein / Maltreated Rocks” die  aktuell auf der SACO Kunstbiennale 1.1 im Museo Ruinas de Huanchaca (Antofagasta) zu erleben ist. Daraus folgend ergaben sich auch viele interessante Gespräche insbesondere mit Prof. Eduardo Campos / Universidad Católica del Norte (Antofagasta), den Jens-Uwe Dyffort während der Forschungsexkursion 2022 als Beifahrer im Auto begleiten konnte.

Die Klanginstallation »Taubes Gestein / Maltreated Rocks« (2023) ist noch bis zum 15. September 2023 im Museo Ruinas de Huanchaca (Antofagasta) zu erleben.

Ausgehend von Gesprächen mit Prof. Dr. Cristina Dorador / Universidad de Antofagasta und ihren Forschungen über die mikrobielle Aktivität von Salzwüsten im Norden Chiles konnten Roswitha von den Driesch und Jens-Uwe Dyffort während eines Ausflugs mit ihr in die Atacama Wüste am 23. Juni 2023 Tonaufnahmen machen. Dazu haben sie unter der krustigen Erdoberfläche kleine Mikrofone installiert die über Nacht die Aktivität des Bodens akustisch aufzeichneten. Einige Aufnahmen und landschaftliche Eindrücke sind mit in ihre aktuelle Klanginstallation “Entferntes Wasser“ im Kurfürstlichen Gärtnerhaus Bonn eingeflossen.

Die Klanginstallation “Entferntes Wasser“ ist bis zum 24. September 2023, während des Beethovenfestes im Kurfürstlichen Gärtnerhaus Bonn zu erleben.

9.- 11. August 2023

The CRC’s international research conference drew more than 90 participants to Cologne. The aim of the workshop-style conference was to provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of research on the geo-, bio- and atmosphere and their interactions in extremely water-limited environments such as the Atacama or Namib deserts. Kenote speakers were Ronald Amundson (UC Berkeley), Laura Evenstar (Univ. Brighton), Claudio Latorre (PUC Santiago), Jason Rech (Univ. Miami).

Download Flyer: International Research Conference Cologne

“The August 2023 conference (Earth-Evolution at the Dry Limit) was for me a first-of-its kind opportunity to meet the diverse array of international researchers who focus on the history and functioning of the Atacama Desert. This face-to-face interaction, in a comfortable and welcoming setting, allowed me to learn, and to share ideas, and develop a deep sense of comradery and collaboration in the process.

A great note of thanks is extended to the University of Köln conference organizers, and to the generosity of the DFG, for this important use of funds for collective science. In just a few decades, Earth science in general, and scholars involved in the Earth-Evolution at the Dry Limit in particular, have shed a light on the importance and uniqueness of understanding how Earth surface processes respond and behave at the arid margins of Earth. These regions harbor unique and societally valuable resources, and possess an aesthetic allure not found elsewhere. Additionally, scientific research and collaborations can in turn assist in promoting this knowledge to the general public, and it can be used to guide those developing conservations strategies to better manage and preserve these amazing environments.“

Ronald Amundson
Professor
University of California, Berkeley 

…“I wanted to thank you for the amazing workshop you organized. 

The science presented in the conference was quite spectacular and I learned a lot. It is quite amazing how much we can study, investigate and learn when we put our efforts together. Furthermore, the informal discussions (between sessions) were very stimulating and enabled the various researcher of extreme dry deserts to get to know each other.

Needless to say that the hospitality was great and made me (and I guess all other participants) very comfortable”…

Ari Matmon
Chair, Institute of Earth Sciences
Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Poster Session Photo: B. Ritter

Poster Session Photo: B. Ritter