Listening to the Château

Shawn Pinchbeck

Country: Canada
Discipline: Sound Art, Interactive Installation

Testimony

With my current residency, in September 2025, my main goal is to complete a soundscape composition that I started in November 2024 here at Château de La Napoule.

For the last few years, I have been making field recordings in and around different locations. With those sound recordings, I create sound compositions that explore the sounds of that place, and more abstractly, my reaction or impressions of that place. The works combine the field recordings, processed and manipulated versions of those soundscapes, and electronic or synthesized sounds.

In November 2024, I recorded a lot of sounds. Now, I am listening to those recordings, looking for the “music” within them. The water and waves, doors, bells, footsteps, ambience, distant voices, boats, traffic and whatever else happens around here make up the personality of the place. They evoke memories, emotions, feelings and I try to find connections between all these materials to find the music within them. My current thoughts lead me to the sea and the influence it has here on the soundscape and the feeling it gives me.

In addition to this piece, I have been preparing for an exhibition in a month at the Cooldiga Arts Festival in Kuldiga, Latvia. I was asked to present two of my older computer interactive installations. The pieces needed a lot of modifications to function on modern computer hardware and software. Upon my arrival, I dug into that task first, getting some feedback from the Château staff, as I reinvented the software for the pieces. I am happy they once again work and people can soon play and explore my pieces Sonic Spaces (the kinetics of sound) and Ghostly Pleasures and Aural Delights.

My first experience of the Château was in November 2024 with the Canadian Residency. It had been quite a few years since I had attended a residency. I was looking for a suitable location and place to do one. I heard about La Napoule Art Foundation from an artist friend and it seemed perfect. Indeed, the situation here is excellent. A stipend to pay for travel, materials and expenses makes it easy to take time out of your usual routine. The staff are so helpful, friendly and caring, making the environment nurturing and pleasant. The location is so magical with the sea, the Château and nearby places to explore. My experience with the other residents was so supportive, fun and creative; making new friends for life. All these things came together to make a very creative, productive and unique experience for me that I will never forget.