Listen To Me
Listen to Me is a bold sound installation designed as an artistic amplification of the river’s silent cry. By enlarging the groove of a vinyl record and etching it into the earth, the work transforms a collaborative sound composition—crafted from local voices and field recordings—into a monumental, visible, and tangible trace. Stretching 16 meters long, this sculpture invites the public not only to see sound but, above all, to hear the water. The project’s artistic strategy hinges on a radical reversal of traditional relationships: here, it is not humans speaking about nature, but the water itself expressing its voice through those who listen. By engaging young locals in listening workshops, recordings, and performances, Listen to Me turns the sound composition into an act of mediation between the river and its community. The phrase Listen to Me, translated into local languages, becomes an urgent call—that of the water, its currents, and its ecosystems—carried by participants and amplified through art.
The work embraces a post-dualist approach, dissolving the boundary between nature and culture by giving the water a concrete presence—not as a backdrop, but as an active participant. Collective performances, installations, and improvisations transform this call into a shared experience, where active listening becomes the foundation for a new alliance between humans and their environment. With Listen to Me, art does more than represent nature—it creates a listening situation. And voices, etched into the earth and accessible through the original vinyl and QR codes, resonate as a reminder: water is not a resource, but a living entity demanding to be heard.
Christophe Fellay (CH)
Christophe Fellay is a multidisciplinary Swiss sound artist, musician, composer, performer, and improviser, whose artistic practice lies at the intersection of sonic experimentation, performance, and interdisciplinary research. His work explores the interplay between gesture, space, and listening, unfolding through immersive installations, hybrid performances, and compositions for diverse ensembles. His projects have been presented at prestigious venues, including Montreux Jazz Festival (Miles Davis Hall), London’s ICA and Kings Place, San Francisco’s Exploratorium, and the Nirox Foundation in South Africa.
Holding a PhD in Art, Music, and Performance from Brunel University (London), Fellay is also an Associate Professor and Head of the Sound Department at EDHEA (HES-SO, Valais), where he conducts research on radical improvisation, spatial acoustics, and participatory dynamics in contemporary art.