Réveil des Archives sonores

The project "Réveil des Archives sonores" is built on the principles of reinterpretation, creation, and transformation, with the goal of highlighting the significant ICH collection of the AIMP (International Archives of Popular Music) housed at the Musée d'Ethnographie de Genève (MEG). This collection represents 18,000 hours of digitized musical traditions from around the world. The project seeks to discover and revive MEG’s sound archive by transforming these recordings into contemporary musical compositions, thereby exploring the creative potential of intangible cultural heritage (ICH).
The project identifies key musical parameters such as rhythmic patterns, scales, timbres, and vocal techniques within the sound archives. These parameters guide the selection of relevant recordings from diverse cultural traditions. Composers are then invited to use these archival sounds as the foundation for creating original musical pieces. To date, more than 20 compositions have been produced, and they are made accessible through the Musical Lounge at MEG. In 2022, MEG expanded its engagement by opening a dedicated Sound Gallery, featuring an octophonic sound system and immersive space offering a multi-sensory experience and showcase the sound creations.