Sounds from the Bunker: aural culture and the remainder of the Cold War

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Primary investigator: Louise K. Wilson

Outside of derelict Cold War bunker with colourful graffiti and artwork adorning the outside

Description

My article ‘Sounds from the Bunker: aural culture and the remainder of the Cold War’ was recently published in a special guest edited issue of the Journal of War and Culture (Volume 13, 2020 – Issue 1) which explored the ‘after-life’ of the Cold War bunker. My contribution to this volume explores the less commonly considered aural culture of this distinctive architectural form. It critically examines both the appropriation of the bunker’s distinctive acoustics and the resonant echo of 1980s Cold War-themed pop songs in the sphere of contemporary music. ‘Sounds from the Bunker’ brings to an end a body of my recent work, which explores Cold War ruinated sites in this country and Australia that culminated in the production of a radio programme for BBC Radio 4. In ‘Cold Art’, a 30-minute documentary produced by Loftus Media, contemporary artists' fascination with Cold War sites were explored through three case studies recorded in Berlin and the UK.

Main image: Teufelsberg, Berlin (2017) Image credit: Louise K Wilson

Two people standing in a cold war era bunker with their backs to the camera

Louise K Wilson with artist Kathrine Sandys (right) in the Hush House (Bentwaters), 2017. Image credit: Freya Hellier