Riga

May 21–26, 2002

In its heyday, the “Radiotehnika” factory made millions of radiograms and speakers every year. The special room where they check the acoustics is still there. It’s an empty structure, five storeys high, lined with soft noise- absorbing dowels, and has wire mesh stretched across the middle. It’s perfectly silent. It has to be said that it leaves a rather depressing impression — you can’t hear the sound of your own voice when you speak because it isn’t reflected off anything.