Me, Le Corbusier,
and a friend
by David Bergé
Collectively
a printed book and a sound space.
240 pages and 43 minutes.
30 audience and 30 books.
in your hands: a book.
in the air: sound.
instructions in the sound
lead you through the book.
pictures printed. eyes scan ink.
fingers trace the skyline in a picture
a page turns. a breath held.
ears catch a murmur, a glitch, a swell.
a temporary audience community
forming over 43 minutes and 240 pages.
one book. one shared pulse.
BOOK INFO ︎︎︎
A book taking 43 minutes and 240 pages. For full info—content, concept and documentation—see here.
Time Based Editions’ ingenious new format, of which this book is the 3rd iteration, offers ‘audio - and - visual’ as two separate elements, held together in the present through a physical synchronization of our hands. Together we dive into a here-and-now of the page: printed photography brought to life by a soundscape that both guides and surrounds us.
A book taking 43 minutes and 240 pages. For full info—content, concept and documentation—see here.
Time Based Editions’ ingenious new format, of which this book is the 3rd iteration, offers ‘audio - and - visual’ as two separate elements, held together in the present through a physical synchronization of our hands. Together we dive into a here-and-now of the page: printed photography brought to life by a soundscape that both guides and surrounds us.
EVENT INFO ︎︎︎
What’s the difference between experiencing it collectively and doing it alone?
Partly, it’s the same difference between seeing a movie at home and in a cinema with others. Especially when, as here, the material and story gets to a place where bearing witness collectively feels necessary. But with Time Based Editions we are not simply watching a film.
We become aware of movement around us - a choreographed ‘echo’ of our own page-turning; fingers tracing lines together, a book being turned upside down in sync with others. With this awareness our attention is brought away from image and representation and more to the book as a material object and our embodied relationship with it. Sometimes the prompts to ‘close your eyes’ are not present in the collective version. Instead, the light may fade or disappear entirely leaving us momentarily holding our books in darkness as the sound continues.
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In some setups it may be preferable to have audiences on synchronised headphones, but in general the awareness of listening to the same sound source (surrounding speakers) adds to a sense of collective involvement - which feels ever more poignant as the narration builds.
CONTEXTS ︎︎︎
Images above from CIVA / Kanal Centre Pompidou (Brussels), where Me, Le Corbusier, and a friend was presented on May 27, 2025.
The collective experience - or better collective activation - of the book is being presented in diverse contexts: museums such as Kanal Centre Pompidou, festivals such as Spring performing arts festival in Utrecht, libraries, and art spaces such as Kunsthal ExtraCity, Antwerp (September 2025), ...
PRACTICAL INFO ︎︎︎
Venue and audience numbers 20-40 recommended.
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Books
. can be used multiple times over several presentations, and sold at a discount following the last performance.
. alternatively they can be included with the ticket price.
. they must be ordered at wholesale price (about 50% of retail price), sold at retail price: host organisation keeps profit
Either way, audiences should be able to go home with a copy if they wish. The book, a ‘charged’ trace of the time-based experience, allows for the multiple strands of the story to resonate and deepen long afterwards. There are also further pages to discover that are not touched on by the audio.
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Me Le Corbusier, and a friend can be installed in quiet rooms, such as those found in museums, theaters, or libraries. In a theatre, it can be either on stage or, ideally, take up the whole space, with the tribune pushed back.
In this photo from Spring Festival in Utrecht (below) 10 people can sit at a table, and another 25 surrounding these on pillows. They were collected by the artist, David Bergé. The 4 speakers are at each corner, creating a center for the sound space.
HOW WE RUN IT ︎︎︎
The sound is run from an Ableton Live project. There are three cues to handle during the performance, which alter wi
th the live performer. There are no light changes/cues.
For a full tech rider, please contact us: db@timebasededitions.com
What’s the difference between experiencing it collectively and doing it alone?
Partly, it’s the same difference between seeing a movie at home and in a cinema with others. Especially when, as here, the material and story gets to a place where bearing witness collectively feels necessary. But with Time Based Editions we are not simply watching a film.
We become aware of movement around us - a choreographed ‘echo’ of our own page-turning; fingers tracing lines together, a book being turned upside down in sync with others. With this awareness our attention is brought away from image and representation and more to the book as a material object and our embodied relationship with it. Sometimes the prompts to ‘close your eyes’ are not present in the collective version. Instead, the light may fade or disappear entirely leaving us momentarily holding our books in darkness as the sound continues.
In some setups it may be preferable to have audiences on synchronised headphones, but in general the awareness of listening to the same sound source (surrounding speakers) adds to a sense of collective involvement - which feels ever more poignant as the narration builds.
CONTEXTS ︎︎︎
Images above from CIVA / Kanal Centre Pompidou (Brussels), where Me, Le Corbusier, and a friend was presented on May 27, 2025.
The collective experience - or better collective activation - of the book is being presented in diverse contexts: museums such as Kanal Centre Pompidou, festivals such as Spring performing arts festival in Utrecht, libraries, and art spaces such as Kunsthal ExtraCity, Antwerp (September 2025), ...
PRACTICAL INFO ︎︎︎
Venue and audience numbers 20-40 recommended.
Books
. can be used multiple times over several presentations, and sold at a discount following the last performance.
. alternatively they can be included with the ticket price.
. they must be ordered at wholesale price (about 50% of retail price), sold at retail price: host organisation keeps profit
Either way, audiences should be able to go home with a copy if they wish. The book, a ‘charged’ trace of the time-based experience, allows for the multiple strands of the story to resonate and deepen long afterwards. There are also further pages to discover that are not touched on by the audio.
Me Le Corbusier, and a friend can be installed in quiet rooms, such as those found in museums, theaters, or libraries. In a theatre, it can be either on stage or, ideally, take up the whole space, with the tribune pushed back.
In this photo from Spring Festival in Utrecht (below) 10 people can sit at a table, and another 25 surrounding these on pillows. They were collected by the artist, David Bergé. The 4 speakers are at each corner, creating a center for the sound space.
HOW WE RUN IT ︎︎︎
The sound is run from an Ableton Live project. There are three cues to handle during the performance, which alter wi
th the live performer. There are no light changes/cues.
For a full tech rider, please contact us: db@timebasededitions.com