Carina Khorkhordina

By Paul Acquaro

Today, something a little different. Carina Khorkhordina is a trumpeter and photographer from Russia, now living and working in Berlin. Some of her recent works are sound/site-specific videos that she has created showcasing some of the quickly disappearing 'verlassene Orte' (abandoned places) in the rapidly gentrifying city.

The first is set in a deserted Schwimmhalle in the Panow section of the city that Khorkhordina fills with sound. She writes:

It's a format of site-specific performances I've been planning to develop for a while. The initial idea of the collaboration with Axel Dörner (trumpet) and Burkhard Beins (percussion) came out of my photographic work about Berlin. In October last year we made our first video in an abandoned swimming pool in the part of the city called Pankow.

This next one comes from a spot not far from the Schwimmhalle, one that is already sporting banners from a demolition company.

In this video, Khorkhordina is working with Berlin based percussionist/vibraphonist Emilio Gordoa and electronics artist Eric Bauer. She writes: 

It is filmed in a former railroad yard. First part is the duo (Bauer / Khorkhordina) site-specifically circling around circular breathing on a plastic Abflussrohr-Didgeridoo and spinning the double wind wand bullroarer. Second part is a piece between the light and darkness with Emilio, Eric and myself.

Finally, one of Khorkhordina's photographs, which capturea in a stark, unadorned way, the out of the way - or perhaps quite typical - landscapes of Berlin...

12U Zehlendorf August 2020. Photo by Carina Khorkhordina

For more of Khorkhordina's work, visit:  https://www.khorkhordina.org/