Silent Gong

What happens when people and sound meet as words fall silent?

We begin with a joint introduction at the gong studio in Energiträdgården. Then we leave spoken language behind and allow other ways of listening, perceiving and connecting to take centre stage.

From the gong studio, we make our way individually and at our own pace towards Västra berget. The soundscape of the surroundings comes closer: branches moving in the wind, car tyres on asphalt, birds in the distance or frost crunching beneath our feet. The sounds change with whatever happens in that particular moment, opening up our listening to all the senses.

There is no particular route to follow. What is already there, and what emerges in the moment, becomes part of the experience.

It is not about getting somewhere, but about being somewhere.

When we return to the gong studio, both the soundscape and the way we listen have changed. The body, which has just been moving through the sounds of the landscape, becomes still. Now, instead, it is the sound that moves around and through the body.

For approximately 60 minutes, gong player Marjo Myllykoski creates an ever-changing soundscape using five gongs. With mallets, brushes, hands and a variety of playing techniques, the many expressions of the instruments unfold, from delicate tones and overtones to raw vibrations and powerful waves of sound.

It is just gong. Bare and alive. Resonance and vibration move through the room and the floor, washing over and enveloping us. Sound becomes something more than what we simply hear.

Participants experience this part lying on the floor, wrapped in blankets.

Gradually, the gongs fade away. The created soundscape disappears too. What remains is resonance and silence.

First, we move through the soundscape.
Then, the soundscape moves around and through us.
Finally, even the created sounds disappear.

What can we hear within ourselves when everything becomes quiet?

Silent Gong takes place in a small group. Advance booking is required. The experience begins and ends at the gong studio in Energiträdgården and includes approximately 45 minutes of outdoor walking around Västra berget. The outdoor section takes place at your own pace and requires no special level of fitness. Weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes are recommended.