Who’d have thought that snow falls

Matthias Schönijahn

Germany/Ukraine

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Three large-format screens hang like windows in empty space. On them are pictures – of landscapes from the Luhansk region and Ukrainian women. Their songs alternate with a choir that interacts with them live and in dialogue. But although they are separated from each other by time and space, the impression arises of a strong connection between the two places. This production investigates the effect of voice. How are traumas written in a voice passed down through generations? This performative installation is not only a touching experience of sound and image but can also be understood as a time capsule for future generations.

Matthias Schönijahn works in the fields of visual arts, film, music theatre and performance. Building on “deep listening”, he creates atmospheric videos and installations that combine documentary material, sound and performance. In the spring of 2021, he travelled with a German-Polish-Ukrainian team to the north of the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk to meet with singing collectives. The resulting video, vocal and field recordings form the basis for Who'd have thought that snow falls. A Berlin choir of amateur singers acts as a link between the audio-visual installation and the room under the direction of Paulina Miu Kühling. The resulting live songs are in turn combined with videos through the ambient compositions of Berlin-based sound artist Martyna Poznańska.