Niemandsland is the debut collaborative album by composers and sound artists Maarten Buyl and Raphael Malfliet. The album features six tracks in dialogue with the Flanders Architecture Institute’s exhibition Tamed Nature at De Singel in Antwerp, curated by Bart Tritsmans. The exhibition traces the layered history of Antwerp’s urban green spaces — from the first city parks of the 19th century to the growing climate activism in the second half of the 20th century.
They took the exhibition as a starting point to explore the so-called “no man’s land”: undefined spaces that no one can claim. Field recordings form the basis of the sonic landscape portraits with which they reflect on the layered history of urban greenery. You may experience the compositions within the exhibition itself or in their original environments, where they interact with the living soundscape of Antwerp.
Available here
Tracklist
ECCENTRIC NUCLEUS [Stadspark]
“The satisfying crunch where my feet meet the gravel carries me with every turn more inwards. There’s a distinct sense of constraint depth at the centre of the triangle, standing amidst the criss-crossing short cutting trajectories of my fellow visitors. The horizon blurred by the background hum."
SUBCULTURE BOUNDARY
[Craeybeckxtunnel]
“Lying on a pulsating membrane, tightly stretched over a hidden world of turmoil and collision, my body trembles uneasily in co-existence with the soft wind in the grass. Insects buzzing in the morning sun."
THINGS FROM YOUR LIFE [Operaplein]
“As heirlooms I and others stand and wait until we are slowly reduced. Buried under concrete and metal by haste and urgency. Always in transit, ever changing. This city’s lung depleted and replaced."
A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN [Ring]
“The camp lies between the trees, hidden, bordered by metal rails dividing it from the highway. A domain where we seek solitude away from watchful eyes and imposed rules. A den where we listen and wait for the howls to diffuse before sleep can settle in."
COMMON AREAS AT THE HEART [Linkeroever]
“The landscape is dull. I follow the gray sandy paths, walking past trees and bushes where, if one is lucky, a woodpecker can be heard. And we’ll feel like we’re in nature and have recharged our batteries. It sounds awful here. Under the surface of the water I seek my refuge."
MAGIC OF THE CITY [Niemandsland]
“Wading through unheard undercurrents, the hairs on my arms erect.”
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Niemandsland
Concept & Realisation: Maarten Buyl & Raphael Malfliet
Production: VAi & Extant
Artwork: FelixArchief, stadsarchief Antwerpen (FOTO-OF#4790)
With the support of Sabam for Culture
Exhibition photos: Dieter Daniëls & Sepideh Farvardin
Special thanks: Bart Tritsmans & Hülya Ertas
Production: VAi & Extant
Artwork: FelixArchief, stadsarchief Antwerpen (FOTO-OF#4790)
With the support of Sabam for Culture
Exhibition photos: Dieter Daniëls & Sepideh Farvardin
Special thanks: Bart Tritsmans & Hülya Ertas
