At Viehofer Platz in Essen, the HÖREN! stop invites visitors to experience the site as the starting point for a sonic exploration together with the Sound Practice Research collective, made up of students from various disciplines at the Folkwang University of the Arts and led by Jan St. Werner. The project focuses on the architectural and situational conditions of Viehofer Platz, which are explored through listening, improvisation, and electronic composition.
Jan St. Werner is a musician, composer, and sound artist who has shaped the international experimental music scene since the 1990s as one half of Mouse on Mars. His work brings together electronic music, site-specific composition, improvisation, and collaborative practices. Since early 2025, he has been Professor at the Folkwang University of the Arts. Together with sound artist and composer Michael Akstaller and students from the Folkwang University of the Arts, Werner explores experimental approaches to listening, composing, and collective sound-making. At the heart of their practice is the question of how listening can open up new perspectives on urban space and foster shared experiences. This tour stop offers visitors a direct encounter with this artistic practice, inviting them to rediscover Viehofer Platz as a resonant sonic space.
