HEAVY METAL ACCUMULATION (2025)
sound installation
HEAVY METAL ACCUMULATION adapts an ancient Swiss ritual in which shepherds sang loudly to protect their herds—from divine guardianship to a collective, emotional “alarm” against environmental instability. At its core is the human voice, reimagined as a protective, unifying and transformative force. Together with singers and vocal talents from the Black Forest, Switzerland and the Lake Constance region, I weave traditional choral forms and folk techniques into a 60-minute, six-channel sound installation.
By layering apocalyptic Heavy Metal vocal styles—long associated with collective climate anxiety and visions of societal collapse—over children’s choirs, madrigals, church and boys’ choirs, yodel groups and experimental voices, the work turns our shared fear, anger and hope into a living, resonant space. Singing, screaming and combined vocality become acts of resistance and imaginative refuge—an acoustic safeguard born of communal sound.
HEAVY METAL ACCUMULATION was created during a 4-month residency at Kunstverein Global Forest in St. Georgen and funded by ResonanzLab – a joint project of the Global Forest art association, Furtwangen University of Applied Sciences, and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences – as well as by the Four Countries Region of Lake Constance scientific network within the framework of the Interreg VI Alpine Rhine-Lake Constance-High Rhine program. The current version of the installation will be presented in October at Kunstverein Global Forest and is currently on display at KFZ in Radolfzell.
By layering apocalyptic Heavy Metal vocal styles—long associated with collective climate anxiety and visions of societal collapse—over children’s choirs, madrigals, church and boys’ choirs, yodel groups and experimental voices, the work turns our shared fear, anger and hope into a living, resonant space. Singing, screaming and combined vocality become acts of resistance and imaginative refuge—an acoustic safeguard born of communal sound.
HEAVY METAL ACCUMULATION was created during a 4-month residency at Kunstverein Global Forest in St. Georgen and funded by ResonanzLab – a joint project of the Global Forest art association, Furtwangen University of Applied Sciences, and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences – as well as by the Four Countries Region of Lake Constance scientific network within the framework of the Interreg VI Alpine Rhine-Lake Constance-High Rhine program. The current version of the installation will be presented in October at Kunstverein Global Forest and is currently on display at KFZ in Radolfzell.
pics: Daniel Franz
participating voices (ﾉﾟ0ﾟ)ﾉ~
Angela Hackbarth und Kindergruppe Rupperstberg (St.Georgen)
Michi und Shey vom Kinder-Jugendbüro St. Georgen (St. Georgen)
Jochen Kiene und Chor Evangelisches Kantorat St. Georgen (St.Georgen)
Martina Schwarz und Gesangsklasse Jugendmusikschule (St. Georgen)
Thomas Eisele und Kirchenchor St. Georg unter der Leitung von Josef Spath (St.Georgen)
Madrigalchor Freiburg unter der Leitung von Fabian Kühn-Brunnenkant (Freiburg)
Peter Klipfel und Madrigalchor Singen unter der Leitung von Hartmut Kasper (Singen)
gemischter Chor Zarten unter der Leitung von Christian Nagel (Zarten)
georgischer Chor Freiburg unter der Leitung von Fraua Kruse-Zaiss (Freiburg)
Philippines Madrigal Choir (Tomas Umberto Jr Virtucio and Krystl Buesa, Manila, PHL)
Schulchor Friedrich Hecker Gymnasium unter der Leitung von Katharina Pfütz (Radolfzell)
Tobias Stückelberger und Knabenchor (Solothurn, CH)
Jodlergruppe Am Schönberg (Freiburg)
Hamburger Knabenchor (Hamburg)
Thomas Maria Reck und Jodelgruppe (Basel, CH)
Erika und Gerhard Obergfell (St. Georgen)
Nam Terath (St. Georgen)
Audrey Chen (Berlin)
Leon Winkel (Hambug)
Daniel Priegnitz (Freiburg)
Malte Struck (Hamburg)
Luca von Vígljós (Basel/Lörrach, CH)
Petra Hayoz-Furrer (Winterthur, CH)
Ela Kübler und Thomas Adis von Basilisk (Donaueschingen)
Tomek von Let me Fall (Waldshut)
Janneke van der Putten (Rotterdam, NL)
Teresa, Waltraud und Josef König (Nantes, FR und AU)
Uli Führe (Buchenbach)
Yasu (Osaka, JP)
Studierende der Hochschule Furtwangen, Fakultät für Gesundheitswesen (Furtwangen)
Michi und Shey vom Kinder-Jugendbüro St. Georgen (St. Georgen)
Jochen Kiene und Chor Evangelisches Kantorat St. Georgen (St.Georgen)
Martina Schwarz und Gesangsklasse Jugendmusikschule (St. Georgen)
Thomas Eisele und Kirchenchor St. Georg unter der Leitung von Josef Spath (St.Georgen)
Madrigalchor Freiburg unter der Leitung von Fabian Kühn-Brunnenkant (Freiburg)
Peter Klipfel und Madrigalchor Singen unter der Leitung von Hartmut Kasper (Singen)
gemischter Chor Zarten unter der Leitung von Christian Nagel (Zarten)
georgischer Chor Freiburg unter der Leitung von Fraua Kruse-Zaiss (Freiburg)
Philippines Madrigal Choir (Tomas Umberto Jr Virtucio and Krystl Buesa, Manila, PHL)
Schulchor Friedrich Hecker Gymnasium unter der Leitung von Katharina Pfütz (Radolfzell)
Tobias Stückelberger und Knabenchor (Solothurn, CH)
Jodlergruppe Am Schönberg (Freiburg)
Hamburger Knabenchor (Hamburg)
Thomas Maria Reck und Jodelgruppe (Basel, CH)
Erika und Gerhard Obergfell (St. Georgen)
Nam Terath (St. Georgen)
Audrey Chen (Berlin)
Leon Winkel (Hambug)
Daniel Priegnitz (Freiburg)
Malte Struck (Hamburg)
Luca von Vígljós (Basel/Lörrach, CH)
Petra Hayoz-Furrer (Winterthur, CH)
Ela Kübler und Thomas Adis von Basilisk (Donaueschingen)
Tomek von Let me Fall (Waldshut)
Janneke van der Putten (Rotterdam, NL)
Teresa, Waltraud und Josef König (Nantes, FR und AU)
Uli Führe (Buchenbach)
Yasu (Osaka, JP)
Studierende der Hochschule Furtwangen, Fakultät für Gesundheitswesen (Furtwangen)
