VHF 81
VHF 81 is a site-specific installation in the former bridge keeper’s house at the Parksluizen in Rotterdam (2026).
VHF 81 is the radio frequency used for communication in the Maasbruggen sector. These marine radio conversations, usually hidden from the outside world, are combined in this work with radio signals from the ether. Functional communication between vessels and traffic control is interwoven with cosmic noise, voices, tones and rhythms. The result is a layered soundscape in which the everyday and the universal converge.
During the closing sound performance, in addition to the live VHF connection, I logged into the antennas and radio telescope of CAMRAS in real time via WebSDR. I also used field recordings from the immediate surroundings, such as a passing tram, closing barriers, and the bridge opening. I processed these sounds live using sound modules.
Recognizable, concrete sounds gradually transformed into abstract tones, and vice versa, creating a tension between the physical space and an abstract sonic universe.
This work was supported by CBK R'DAM