JUNE 2023 - BERLIN, GERMANY

THE BUNKER - INSTALLATION

Step into The Bunker, where the echoes of history merge with contemporary artistry. Kėkė Søl and Wick Simmons invite you to experience an immersive installation that transforms the stark, imposing rooms of a German wartime bunker into mesmerizing, sensual sonic landscapes. Here, the haunting timbres of suspended electric cellos intermingle with the intricate beauty of Shibari rope bondage.

The Bunker is a profound exploration of resonance and tension, where the physical and auditory intersect through the art of rope bondage and the evocative sounds of electric cellos. Renowned rope artists Kati Bird, Dasniya Sommer, and Andy Buru meticulously weave seductive patterns around each instrument, turning them into living sculptures of sound and sight.

Central to this installation is the community participation, where contact improvisation, Shibari, and an improvisational music ensemble converge. Participants and artists alike are invited to interact with the ropes and cellos, touching and pulling the ribbons strung through their strings and necks. Each movement creates a symphony of sound textures, brought to life by the tactile interactions that animate the installation.

Suspended in a forest of bondage ropes, the electric cellos are connected to a single signal processor—a pedal board laden with a myriad of effect pedals. Kėkė Søl controls and manipulates these effects in real-time, crafting an ever-evolving soundscape. On opening night, witness the captivating synergy as Wick Simmons and Kėkė Søl sit across from each other, engaging in an improvisational dialogue: Wick on the cello, and Kėkė shaping the auditory landscape with deft control over the effects.

The Bunker invites you to explore the delicate balance of tension and harmony, where every touch and every sound reverberate through the historical walls, creating a space that is at once grounded in the past and elevated by the present.