In the quiet stretches along the banks of the Gauja River, a new sensory exploration is challenging the traditional perception of the Latvian landscape. The audiovisual exhibition Spektrālās ainavas / Diena (Spectral Landscapes / Day) transforms the idyllic town of Strenči into a study of contrast, where the serenity of nature meets the rigid lines of micro-industrial urbanization.
The project is the result of a 2024 artistic residency hosted by the long-term initiative Strenču sonifikācijas stacija (Strenči Sonification Station), supported by the association Orbīta. By utilizing specialized technology to capture light and sound beyond human perception, the creators have mapped a hidden geography of the region, revealing how industrial remnants—from boiler houses to railway bridges—are not merely adjacent to nature, but deeply embedded within it.
At its core, the exhibition is an exercise in synergy. The “spectral” element refers to both the light frequencies used to capture the imagery and the acoustic range used to build the soundscapes. This dual approach strips away the familiar colors and sounds of the countryside, replacing them with a clinical yet contemplative representation of the environment’s physical properties.
The Invisible Light: Infrared Videopaintings
The visual component of the installation consists of five static “videopaintings” created by artist Andrejs Strokins. Departing from his previous work in photography, Strokins has transitioned to the videocamera to capture the subtle, almost imperceptible movements of the landscape. These works are filmed using an extended-range camera in the infrared spectrum, turning the world into a graphic representation of sunlight and the surfaces that reflect it.
Because the infrared spectrum renders the world in a high-contrast, monochromatic palette, the resulting images feel detached from reality, bordering on the surreal. Strokins describes these pieces as existing in the liminal space between photography and video. While the frames appear static at first glance, they contain minimal, deliberate actions: a cyclist passing in the distance, a train crossing the frame, or a wire swaying in the wind.
«These works are something between photography and video—on one hand, they are static and the action in the frame is minimal… These minimal changes in the frame have great sonic significance—sound is the main dramaturg of these videos,» says Andrejs Strokins.
This minimal visual movement serves as a canvas for the auditory experience, ensuring that the viewer’s attention is not distracted by cinematic action, but rather focused on the atmospheric tension between the image and the noise.
Sonification and the Expanded Acoustic Spectrum
While Strokins handles the visuals, audio artists Artūrs Punte and Rostislavs Rekuta provide the “symphonic” accompaniment. The soundscapes are not musical compositions in the traditional sense; they are raw, expanded recordings of the specific locations featured in the videos. To achieve this, the team moved beyond standard microphones, employing a suite of specialized sensors to capture vibrations and frequencies typically unheard by the human ear.
The recording process involved several high-tech tools to map the acoustic environment:
- Geophones: Used to capture low-frequency ground vibrations.
- Hydrophones: Used for underwater acoustic recording.
- Electromagnetic sensors: Capturing the invisible hum of electrical infrastructure.
- Surface microphones: Recording the tactile vibrations of physical materials.
The resulting audio tracks are described as “saturated,” offering a denser experience than what a visitor would hear while standing in the same spot. By removing generated sounds and traditional music, Punte and Rekuta have created a contemplative, immersive environment. This “spectral processing” adds a layer of sonic texture that mirrors the infrared visuals, creating a cohesive sensory loop where the light and sound are derived from the same physical reality but presented through an artificial lens.
Mapping the Industrial Contrast
The thematic heart of the exhibition is the tension between the “idyllic” and the “industrial.” During their residency in Strenči, the artists discovered that the town’s charm is punctuated by a series of functional, industrial sites. The exhibition specifically highlights these locations to show how they have been absorbed into the natural landscape.
| Location/Object | Thematic Role | Sensory Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Water Treatment Station | Micro-urbanization | Mechanical hum & fluid dynamics |
| Boiler House | Industrial heat/energy | Low-frequency vibrations |
| Peat Loading Platform | Resource extraction | Textural surface sounds |
| Railway Bridge | Connectivity/Transit | Rhythmic metallic resonance |
A Tribute to Industrial Heritage: The Vijciems Performance
The exhibition culminates in a special audiovisual performance dedicated to one of Latvia’s most poignant examples of historical industrial heritage: the Vijciems rye-drying kiln (čiekurkalti), dating back to 1895. This structure represents a bygone era of agricultural industry, standing as a monument to the intersection of traditional labor and early industrialization.
In 2025, the artists from the Strenči Sonification Station visited the Vijciems kiln during a rare window of activity. The visit coincided with the season’s only rye-drying batch, a singular event that provided a unique opportunity to capture the sounds and sights of a traditional process in a historical setting. This specific event has been immortalized in the performance, serving as a bridge between the modern, infrared studies of Strenči and the deep historical roots of the Latvian landscape.
By documenting this final batch of the season, the artists highlight the fragility of such heritage. The performance acts as a sonic archive, preserving the resonance of the 19th-century kiln through the same spectral lens used to examine the modern infrastructure of the Gauja riverbanks.
The project continues to explore the relationship between sound and space, with the creators focusing on how sonification can reveal the hidden histories of a location. Future updates regarding the Strenču sonifikācijas stacija and subsequent residencies will be shared through the association Orbīta.
We invite you to share your thoughts on the intersection of technology and nature in the comments below.
