Hortillophones 2/3 > Raphaëlle Duquesnoy, 2019

The Hortillophones are an acoustic machine that amplifies the particularities of the soundscape. Made of ceramic, it enables the visitor to position the ear and to focus on the listening points carefully chosen for their qualities of sound panoramas. Positioned in three places to capture the sound topography of the site, they highlight the local fauna, the vegetation, the life of the park and its multiple interactions with the city. On the Étang de Clermont, depending on the moment that you pass by, showcase the ambience of the gardens, the rustling of the vegetation and the ornithological: song of the wren, cry of crested grebe, bells of Sacré-Coeur or whistling of the trains at the station. Another Hortillophone is taking place on the Île aux fagots, and you will hear the rumor of the city intermingled with the hustle and bustle of rushing phragmites. Listening is a great way to raise awareness about the ecology of the soundscape: it reveals everything that the eye cannot see, and the musical score in which the walker is immersed every day without even noticing. The Hortillophones amplify the existing sounds to capture the poetry of the site without ever disturbing it.