Background
In 2011, I was invited by KORO to propose a sound art work for the Mapping Authorities Headquarter in Hønefoss
I started by visiting the place, and investigating what the Mapping Authorities do. I found that they have a very diverse set of activities, with nationwide responsibility for geographical information, they operate the national property registry and undertake all property registration in Norway.
They also have a nice museum of map making techniques and methods, all the way back to the establishment in 1773. Throughout history, the techniques of triangulation has been essential and in some aspects unchanged, Similarly, the need for international cooperation is an aspect that has been necessary, and also active. An early occurrence of this was the Struve Geodetic Arc, from Hammerfest to the Black Sea, the first accurate measurement of a meridian (1816 - 1855) to establish the exact size and shape of the earth.
Some of their current activities involve observations and measurements related to deep space. I was always interested in high tech, so I wanted to know more.
I also found it kind of poetic that we still navigate by the stars, like old seafarers did.
One of the techniques now used is called Very Long Baseline Interferometry
