Broadcast date: 12.05.02

This programme featured a new commissioned sound work by r a d i o q u a l i a:

radio.astroNomy: 0.001
For isol, r a d i o q u a l i a created a sound work based on field recordings from nearby galactic sources using radio astonomical technology. In 2001, r a d i o q u a l i a travelled to Irbene, a remote and isolated site in Western Latvia. Participating in the Acoustic Space Lab, r a d i o q u a l i a were part of a group of artists, technicians, and scientists who took up residence at the Ventspils Radio Astronomy Centre [VIRAC]. Over a four day period, r a d i o q u a l i a and 35 others were given access to VIRAC's 32 metre radio telescope. Existing in isolation and in secret for the first 20 years of its life the 32m array was grudgingly given back to the people of Latvia by the retreating Soviet army in 1994. Since them it has gradually emerged from obscurity to claim its place as one of the ten best radio antenna of its kind in the world. A dish-mounted microphone explored the acoustic properties of the dish, converting it into a large ear which listened in to the ambient surrounds of the Irbene area. The dish was also used to the dish to observe nearby galactic objects, such as Venus, Jupiter, and the Sun. Man-made objects such as orbitting INMARSAT satellites were also documented during experiments. radio.astroNomy: 0.001 explores how man-made technology, such as the VIRAC radio telescope can contribute to overcoming the profound sense of being isolated in the solar system. By being able to detect and work with the individual audio properties of galactic objects, we have a sense of being able to extend beyond our immediate environment.