Preemptive Listening

Societies have created emergency sirens to warn when a catastrophe is suddenly occurring. But what happens when the catastrophes are not sudden? Who is going to ring the siren this time? 

Let’s take the concept of emergency to its more concrete manifestation: the siren. What does the design of sirens tell us about how we interpret emergencies? How can we reimagine it to address the pressing catastrophes that are knocking at our door? These eerie sounds are a signifier of past trauma, a way to express urgency and the need to act immediately. A strongly political film, experimental and imaginative – made in collaboration with twenty musicians – it transforms the looming wail of the siren into a call to action, demanding we shake from our seats and take a stand. -Simone Coghi