Acoustic River Ecologies Workshop: Building and Listening with EMF Microphones (4–5 hours)
← Programme
Workshop guided by Minji Kim
Thursday June 18, 13.00 – 17.00
Het Gorcums Museum, Gorinchem
This workshop introduces participants to electromagnetic listening through the construction and use of simple EMF microphones. Structured as a one-day session (approximately 4–5 hours), it combines basic electronics, collective experimentation, and site-based listening.
Participants will work in small groups to assemble a low-cost EMF microphone. Each kit includes an inductor for detecting electromagnetic fields, a shielding and amplification circuit to stabilise the signal, and a mini preamp for connection to portable recorders or smartphones. The construction process is guided step by step, with attention to how each component shapes the sensitivity and character of the signal.
Following assembly, participants will test and tune their devices through short listening exercises. These sessions focus on identifying electromagnetic activity emitted by everyday infrastructures such as power lines, pumps, and electronic devices. Rather than treating these signals as abstract data, the workshop approaches them as situated phenomena that vary according to position, proximity, and environmental conditions.
The final phase consists of a brief collective field session in the surrounding area. Participants will use their self-built microphones to trace electromagnetic activity in relation to the river environment, moving between locations such as bridges, edges of the water, and infrastructural nodes. The emphasis remains on attentive listening and comparative observation across sites.
Each group retains their EMF microphone after the workshop, enabling continued experimentation and recording beyond the session.
This workshop is part of Minji Kim’s larger project Acoustic Territories.
Location
Het Gorcums Museum
Grote Markt 17
Gorinchem
www.gorcumsmuseum.nl
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