In June and July 2023, I participated in a residency at Binaural Nodar, located in Nogueira de Côta, Viseu. Binaural Nodar, a cultural initiative established in 2004, operates in the Portuguese region of Viseu Dão Lafões. My residency at Binaural Nodar aimed to valorize the empty spaces in the Viseu area, product of emigration. It focused on examining the spaces and infrastructures of defunct productive systems, which have led to shifts in the local economy and subsequent emigration of residents in search of new opportunities. These empty spaces hold memories of the region’s past vitality, representing the activities that once thrived in the villages but now stand abandoned, contributing to population decline through emigration.

During my residency, I developed the performance Tungsteno. This performance involved a temporary occupation of the Queiriga Mine. The project involved exploring the sounds of the mine to create a composition that accentuates the acoustic characteristics of the location. During this process, I used Polyphono with its 10 sound extremities dispersed throughout the mine. This created a multichannel system of sound spatialization that interacted with the various nooks and crannies of the space, amplifying the acoustic variations present within the mine to encompass its entirety. The space itself modulated the sound, working with the unique acoustic properties of the cave. The final result is a live performance held inside the mine, incorporating synthesizers, electromagnetic waves, and field recordings from the mine’s soundscape. These elements are projected into space and modulated by itself, establishing a dialogue with the mine’s acoustics.