Balint
Komenczi

My sound installation is based on two field recordings made in Budapest, Hungary where I live. The two materials had been recorded in the same place but at different times. The first one was during the pandemic restrictions (we had the possibility to visit markets and other public facilities while keeping strict rules), and the second one was after the strict regulations were over but when public places still remained quiet. The place of the recordings is the largest and oldest Hungarian market hall. The Grand Market Hall in Budapest was built in 1896 and since then it has played an important role in the capital's busy life. The hall is situated next to the Danube River; in days of yore small ships could ply the building's basement through an underground stream. The sounds captured resonate with the nuances of the building in its original form, it represents the acoustics of the 19th century which the listener can now experience, a possibility only when the market fell silent. During the pandemic everything changed, and so did sounds. Public buildings seemed to be perfect places to grasp the sound of the absence of people, the sound of silence. Any other time, the soundscape is a buzzy environment with sounds from various sources. The gaping silence which persisted for the last two years lured me to create an acoustic illusion of vivid life in the middle of the pandemic as I mixed the two recordings to create the illusion of people around me. The mix of the two recordings symbolically overwrote the memory of the pandemic’s frozen world.

Balint Komenczi (1974, Hungary), is a musician, sound artist, and educator from Budapest. His approach to creation is based on working with a wide range of musical forms and sound objects. Collaboration and conversation with other people are important elements of his practice, besides the application of advanced technology for music and sound construction. He allows his skills as a musician, sound artist, and educator to fulfil his diverse interests in the field.