Installation / Nominated for the UdK Berlin Art Award 2025 - Devil’s Rope: Between Refuse and Refuge

Devil’s Rope: Between Refuse and Refuge


Kinetic-Interactive Sound Installation
-Barbed wire, turnbuckle, speaker, amplifier, MAX, arduino, microphone stand-

For over a century, barbed wire has been utilized extensively to demarcate territorial boundaries and define spaces, shaping identities. Thanks to its success in deterring human bodies, it has become an emblem of border(ing). Devil’s Rope: Between Refuse and Refuge employs barbed wire as an element to contemplate the concept of borders and the intricacies of human mobility. It calls for a reflection on the interplay between the body, borders, sound, and space, highlighting the multifaceted nature of these issues.

Using barbed wire and infrasound frequencies below human hearing (0–20 Hz), the asymmetrically arranged installation intensifies the visual, acoustic, and situational elements of borders, drawing visitors into an atmosphere of tension. A sensor/counter at the entrance adjusts the vibration intensity of the barbed wire in real time, responding directly to the presence of bodies in the space. As audience numbers increase, the wire’s material presence becomes more audible, as its frequency and intensity rise in parallel.

Grunewaldstr. 2, Medienhaus

<Nominated for the @udkberlin Art Award 2025>

Many thanks to Alberto de Campo, Jussi Ängeslevä, Hannes Hoelzl, Luiz Zanotello, Anne Wellmer, Gürsoy Doğtaş, Gabi Schillig, Daniel Hromada, Nina Fischer, and Miriam Öesterreich for their valuable feedback. @s4ntp_gencomp @newmediaclass_udk 


Production Support: @fangts_ @_ereinhardt
Video by @volkancalisir