Summer Listening Session – From Venice's Minor Keys to a 639-Year Organ Piece

Pack your headphones and join host Christof Zürn for an immersive special episode. We travel across Europe to explore how deep, mindful listening can transform our perspective on space, time – and leadership. In this episode:

• The Venice Biennale: Field recordings from the 61st Art Biennale themed In Minor Keys. Explore the subtle soundscapes of wind, water, and interactive installations across the Belgian, Finnish, Romanian, and Polish pavilions.
• The Vatican Pavilion: A contemplative spatial walk through the The Ear is the Eye of the Soul exhibition in the Giardino Mistico. Discover how movement-sensitive headphones blend 12th-century scores by Hildegard von Bingen with contemporary sounds by Brian Eno, Patti Smith, Terry Riley, and AI artists Herndon and Dryhurst.
• Vitra Campus: Experience near-binaural recordings inside the contemplative Doshi Retreat in Weil am Rhein, designed by Balkrishna Doshi, where gongs and flutes erase the boundaries between self and architecture.
• John Cage and The Long Now: Journey to Halberstadt, Germany, to learn about the 639-year-long performance of Organ2/ASLSP, As Slow as Possible, which runs until the year 2640. Plus, hear how Christof uses Cage’s silent piece 4'33" as a team-building tool.
• What are the "minor keys" – the quiet, overlooked voices – in your personal life, team, or organisation that need closer listening?

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Show Notes and Links

• Venice Biennale Website: https://www.labiennale.org/en/art/2026 
• Hildegard von Bingen on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_of_Bingen 
• Hans Ulrich Obrist Interview in Arts of the Working Class: https://artsoftheworkingclass.org/text/a-conversation-with-hans-ulrich-obrist-and-ben-vickers-on-hildegard-of-bingen 
• Giardino Mistico Website: https://www.giardinomistico.it/blog/2020/06/01/riapre-il-giardino-mystico/ 
• Giardino Mistico Free Registration: https://www.coopculture.it/it/eventi/evento/lorecchio-e-locchio-dellanima/ 
• Herndon and Dryhurst Exhibition at K21 Düsseldorf: https://www.kunstsammlung.de/en/exhibitions/holly-herndon-mat-dryhurst-en 
• Doshi Retreat at Vitra Campus Website: https://www.vitra.com/en-un/campus/news/details/doshi-retreat 
• Organ2/ASLSP Project Page: https://www.aslsp.org/das-projekt.html 
• Sabine Groschup’s Experimental Film: https://vimeo.com/637619443 
• Related Podcast – Soundwalk in the Summer: https://musicthinking.com/sound-walk-in-the-summer-with-christof-zurn/

Chapter markers:

00:00:00.000 Opening sounds 00:00:46.000 Intro Music Thinking 00:02:03.000 The Sounds of Venice 00:03:35.000 Biennale di Venezia 00:04:44.000 In Minor Keys - Koyo Kuoho 00:06:23.000 Music Thinking 00:07:33.000 Belgium 00:08:38.000 Finland 00:10:36.000 Romania 00:11:57.000 Poland 00:14:14.000 Reflection 00:15:35.000 Giardino Mistico 00:20:55.000 Precious Okoyomon 00:23:22.000 More Biennale 00:25:25.000 benefits - Music Thinking 00:26:49.000 Balkrishna Doshi Vitra Campus 00:33:16.000 Halberstadt 00:34:33.000 John Cage 00:35:38.000 Using 4'33'' in a Workshop 00:37:44.000 Organ2/ASLSP 00:41:58.000 Reflecting Exercise 00:44:37.000 Before we go