|
funkstille |
|
|
|
|
"Funkstille" can be translated literally as radio silence the moment when a radio station goes off the air. More often, the word is used metaphorically to describe a situation in which two or more parties cease to communicate. Of course, "Funkstille" also applies when a radio station loses its broadcasting license, for example, for political or ideological reasons. The void which is left behind, however, is far from silent, but echoes with the noise of the endless depth of empty airspace. Although an occasional pause in the regular radio program might be welcome, radio stations regard radio silence as an error to be avoided at all costs. Emergency systems have been developed to automatically activate a back-up program when the normal radio signal fails to register. The BBC overcame tremendous technical and bureaucratic obstacles when it successfully broadcast John Cage´s composition "4´33", in which only the beginning and the end of the piece are audible, marked by the opening and closing of a piano. For RADIOTESLA, "Funkstille" is also an exploration of outer limits how clear does the amplitude of the radio waves need to be, in order to be identified as deliberate. Laurie Anderson is not alone in her fascination with the idea that all broadcasts in the history of radio might well be received beyond the planet Earth. For although signals lose intensity over time, they continue travelling into the universe, never disappearing completely. With this in mind, the presentation of the theme "Funkstille" is not only spread over four evenings in July and September. The holiday weeks in between can also be understood as filled with extraordinary programming, which may well reach beyond the Berlin city limits. The normal rhythm of weekly productions will resume on September 21st, after the summer holidays. RADIOTESLA wishes everyone a pleasant summer. |
|
| back to radio tesla | ||