Sanche Zev
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By repurposing payphones as field recorders, I made a daily practice of calling these telecommunication monuments scattered across the western and central deserts.
This resulted in a collection of recordings that range from spontaneous conversations with those who answered to incidental soundscapes captured when the line connected but no one spoke. Through this act of listening to both land and people, I aimed to capture the unique arid soundscape of these desert regions.
I treated the payphones as totemic objects, using them as conduits between the known and the imagined. This practice allowed me to engage with a place that is both remote and private, exploring themes of voyeurism and connection. The transcriptions, which I now view as a form of voyeuristic poetry, reveal a complex interplay between intrusion and intimacy as I navigated the nuances of my own technological misunderstandings.
To visually interpret the locations associated with these calls, I created a series of photographs and prints, capturing scenes based roughly on where the payphones might have been. These works document the desert topography through both a technological and visual lens, reflecting on themes of access, privilege, and place. The photographs, taken during curfews in Mparntwe, highlight how simple rights, which most take for granted, can be forcibly and violently restricted while others continue to enjoy these spaces with little thought. I approached my exploration of the town as a meditative practice, venturing out each evening from 6 pm to photograph the convergence of buildings, rocks, trees, and the river, capturing how these landscapes relate and intersect.
"Must Be Somewhere" weaves together recordings, photographs, prints, and interactive elements to explore the intersections of communication, technology, and landscape. The project delves into the ethical implications of eavesdropping, offering a contemplative journey into our interactions with both the environment and each other. It invites reflection on how technology shapes our understanding of access, privilege, and the landscapes we inhabit.
Port Augusta
Medium: Systematically altered photocopy
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 5.83 x 8.27 inches
Medium: Photocopy
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 5.83 x 8.27 inches
Medium: Systematically altered photocopy
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 5.83 x 8.27 inch
Medium: Photocopy
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 5.83 x 8.27 inches
Medium: Medium format negative scan
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 6 x 6 inches
Medium: Medium format negative scan
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 6 x 6 inches
Medium: Medium format negative scan
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 6 x 6 inches
Medium: Medium format negative scan
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 6 x 6 inches
Medium: Medium format negative scan
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 6 x 6 inches
Medium: Medium format negative scan
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 6 x 6 inches
Medium: Medium format negative scan
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 6 x 6 inches
Medium: Medium format negative scan
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 6 x 6 inches
Medium: Medium format negative scan
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 6 x 6 inches