Bill Fontana’s Distant Trains: A documentation of an acoustic relocation

Abstract

Witnessing a sound installation in person offers an opportunity to experience the qualities and elements of a work first hand and in full, multisensory effect. A thorough documentation of an exhibition and the work that goes into it is at the essence of preserving important information for future generations. Though information can be gathered from archives, some works of sound art are only marginally presented in the literature, making it difficult to fully grasp aspects of an artist’s technical, organisational and, most particularly, creative ways of working. Instead, already existing information is often reproduced. Previous documentation regarding Bill Fontana’s Sound Sculpture Distant Trains, exhibited in Berlin in 1984, offers an example of the possible loss of key details. This article aims to present new research findings that will examine and illuminate the full scope of this artistic project.