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RT-32: Irbene Radio Telescope

    In the forests of western Latvia, in Irbene near Ventspils, are located the Soviet-era 32-meter fully steerable parabolic antenna RT-32, and 16-meter diameter antenna RT-16. Only in 1993, when the withdrawal of Soviet Army forces from the Baltic States was negotiated, was the existence of the antennas, and of the previously top-secret communication 'espionage' center Zvyozdochka, revealed.
    Since 1994, Latvian scientists of the VIRAC - Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center have been undergoing the process of restoring the damage to the abandoned antennas, and transforming them from military to scientific purposes. To explore the antennas' potential for civilian and artistic use, an international "Acoustic.Space.Lab" symposium for sound art using radio and satellite technologies took place in August 2001 at the site of the RT-32".

    Conception: Rasa Smite, Raitis Smits;
    video: Martins Ratniks;
    sound: Clausthome
    2002/2006

    The original DVD was produced by RIXC in 2002. Reprints in 2004 and 2006.
    Credits to: VIRAC scientists and Acoustic.Space.Lab symposium participants for audio-visual-photo-textual contributions.
    http://acoustic.space.re-lab.net
    www.rixc.lv/waves/en/txt32.html

    August 20, 2009