A sound sculpture by artist Em’kal Eyongakpa specially developed for the Oude Kerk based on his long-term artistic investigation of the relationship between water and sound.
Sound sculpture
Especially for Amsterdam’s oldest building, Eyongakpa developed a sound sculpture entitled: babhi-bεrat 21r. It is an excerpt from babhi-manyɛp/ babhi-bawɛt (series: mbaŋ). Mbi means path, route, (pl babhi). bawɛt means oil, manyɛp means water. babhi-manyɛp/ babhi-bawɛt translated from Kenyang, means waterways/oil routes.Eyongakpa’s sound experience spreads through the entire space via wooden pulsating platforms in the centre of the church. The platforms form a path to walk. They convert unprocessed sound recordings made by the artist during nocturnal rites/processions through the city into a physical experience of sound. Nature and outdoor sounds thus find a way inside.
Em’kal Eyongakpa graduated in plant biology and ecology from the University of Yaounde 1 and participated in a residency programme at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. He is known for his travelling research spaces and autonomous art centres: KHaL! SHRINE (Yaounde, 2007-2013), Bɔɔ Bɛtɔk/ɛfúkúyú, (Amsterdam, 2017-present). Visitors are able to see and experience Eyongakpa’s work at various events and exhibition spaces around the world.
Link to exhibition page, Oude Kerk Amsterdam
Hartwig Art Production | Collection Fund
For the Special Project 2020-2021, collaborations were established with presentation institutions in the Netherlands. Besides Oude Kerk, presentations by a total of 15 artists were shown at Kunstinstituut Melly (Rotterdam), Stroom Den Haag, Vleeshal (Middelburg) and Casco Art Institute (Utrecht).