GENIUS LOCI WEIMAR 2024 – AWARD WINNER
BUCHENWALD MEMORIAL – WEIMAR | DE
From August 30th to September 1st, 2024, mammasONica presented Ghostpoets, an immersive light and sound installation at the Buchenwald Memorial. The installation stood as a powerful reflection on the intersection of trauma and healing, set against the backdrop of one of history’s darkest moments.
Trauma often fractures the flow of time, causing people to relive moments of pain, where past, present, and future converge in a chaotic, unpredictable cycle. Ghostpoets harnessed this idea, transforming the seven steles at Buchenwald into symbolic portals through time. Each stele represented a stage in the journey from darkness to light, despair to hope.
Visitors to the installation moved through these symbolic stages, experiencing animated lights projected onto the steles. Each stele was paired with a specific musical note from the seven major scales, creating a soundscape that evolved from deep, somber tones to lighter, hopeful notes. These sonic experiences were enriched with sound traces from interviews with war survivors, symbolizing the progression from fragmentation to wholeness.
In addition to the sound and light, each stele was illuminated with distinct colors, following the scientific principle of light composition. These colors, ranging from the longer wavelengths of red (associated with alertness) to the shorter, calming wavelengths of violet, reflected the emotional arc of healing and transformation.
Ghostpoets created an artistic echo of the transformative power of confronting and reshaping painful memories. The installation invited reflection, not only on the horrors of the past but also on the resilience and recovery of the human spirit.
By integrating modern techniques of light, sound, and visual perception, Ghostpoets became a layered exploration of memory and trauma. It reflected the complex interplay between real and virtual imagery, offering a profound space for reflection, sensory engagement, and collective healing.
THE URBAN SPACE
The integrated playback system blends seamlessly with the natural landscape. The choice for Eco-friendly short throw Full HD laser projector ( mercury-free light source ) to display was the most energy efficient way to bring light to the sculpture. The whole artwork was powered by the electrical generator (no fossil energy generators were used) lowering its carbon footprints. Every phase of a production, from design to logistics towards final installation, was developed with sustainability in mind.
CREDITS
Concept – Screenplay & Animation
Digital Animation
Additional Animation
Soundtrack
Concept – Screenplay & animation – Luca Pulvirenti
Digital Animation Cristina Santangelo
Additional Animation Alessandro Favarolo, Marco Mereu, Riccardo Mameli
Soundtrack Giancarlo Trimarchi
Luca Pulvirenti
Cristina Santangelo
Alessandro Favarolo, Marco Mereu, Riccardo Mameli
Giancarlo Trimarchi