Vocode

A preserving ode to languages that are on the verge of extinction

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When a language is lost, the connection that people have with a specific place and its community weakens.

For the exhibition Not in so many words at the Kröller-Müller Museum, Fillip Studios selected 139 languages from the UNESCO atlas of the world’s languages in danger, including Éven, Chantal, Trumai, Waima’s and Savosavo.

In an installation on the spot, the languages were translated into compelling artworks.

Installation of Vocode by Fillip Studios at Kröller-Müller Museum

The installation at Kröller-Müller Museum.

Unique drawings

Every day of the exhibition, a nearly-lost language — normally only understood by the indigenous community — is translated into a unique drawing that can be experienced by all.

Would you like to purchase one of the unique Vocode drawings? Send us a message.

The technique behind Vocode

In Vocode, a spoken language does not only make the air vibrate, it also causes a special pen to dance across a sheet of paper: the sound becomes visible as well as audible.

The technique used for the installation is called Canorgraphy, developed by Roos Meerman in 2014. It converts sound into a graphic image.

Photography by Michele Giebing

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