Oorsprong
Hans Van Koolwijk
2007
Step inside the world’s largest flute – a journey to the origins of sound.
At first glance, the sound installation Oorsprong appears to be nothing more than a long steel tube. Look closer, and you discover a flute: sixteen metres long, nearly two metres wide.
A machine blows air through the closed end; the other side is open and accessible through a round door. Step inside, and a motion sensor activates the installation. Suddenly, powerful vibrations surge through your entire body. At the far end, faint light filters in through an opening where the sound originates – just like in a recorder or organ pipe. A journey to the very origin of sound.
about the artist
Hans Van Koolwijk (NL) has worked at the intersection of visual art and music since 1987. He regards sound as a material in its own right: “I work with sound in the same way sculptors work with stone or clay,” he once remarked.
His fascination with flutes, reverberation, and echo can be traced back to two formative experiences: the enchanting melody of an Indian flute and the overwhelming sound of a church organ played at full power. In addition to designing and building sound installations such as Origin, Hans Van Koolwijk is also a composer and musician. Central to his practice is Bambuso Sonoro, an installation of bamboo flutes that can be experienced both visually and acoustically.