inspiration

Sound::Gender::Feminism::Activism 2014, post graduate research event, CRiSAP, London

www.crisap.org

25 international presentations by artists, musicians and academics on the four topics, specifically addressing the question, 'What in the historical present constitutes an activist life in sound?'

I am slightly biased having organized this event with CRiSAP but could not help but be blown away by the content. Here are some of the small specifics that stand out for me a i dashed in and out of the theatre. 

- Maggie Nichols describing how to break the mould of expected expression and 'normality' (while breaking out into free vocal expressions mid with through sentences) but retaining just enough to be able to say 'no officer, i'm fine thank you'.

- Tara Rodgers stating a case for new modes of communication and content sharing that credits the makers. She disagrees with free online content of art works and ideas as this is not a sustainable practice, nor does it value the work created. So time to think of a new way to create online groups and share ideas.

- Alison Balance's performance: sixty five, sixty four, sixty three .... we are the vessles for the stories. A perforamtive reminder of our physical and behavioural responsibitliy as story tellers.

- Anna Raimondo's Encouragements. Using a hands free mobile phone to declare encouragments to passers by, with the using the smallest of excuses - the white cable headphones that attach to a mobile phone - retaining her 'sanity' in these public spaces.

- Philip Cornett's interviews with LGBT community in Cambridge, as interviewed by young LGBT group members. Utterly shocking accounts of what has, and undoubtably still is happaning.

- Invasorix, a Mexican group overflowing with SGFA energy and passion that feel similar to the UK group Gaggle.

- and many more...

Points of Inspiration

Some points of inspiration for me this past month:

Disruptive Abundance, a talk at CSM by Josephine Green in discussion with Jeremy Till and Ezio Manzini. 
http://events.arts.ac.uk/apex/EventFormPage?id=a0RD000000AiuLcMAJ&book=true

Josephine Green identifying that we are in the midst of a change in world views - 1) from the hierarchical Scientific, Rational & Industrial to what could be a creative, collaborative decentralised heterachy that is more befitting to the unique qualities of being human. 2) from the meta world view of scarcity to one of abundance, when production has finally outstripped consumption. She feels that we are at a point of conflict as we try to practice a new world view from within the rules of the past. 

These ideas have been resonating with me since, examples appearing everywhere.

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'Pierre Huyghe, IN BORDER DEEP, exhibition at Hauser & Wirth, London http://www.hauserwirth.com/exhibitions/2232/pierre-huyghe-br-in-br-border-br-deep/view/

'Huyghe works across media to create situations, cutting through time and boundaries, highlighting concepts of separation.' 

The exhibition includes a large stone sculpture of a figure sat on rocks, damaged, headless it grows moss and is presented on its back under a low slung halogen strip light; A number of glass tanks holding dark murky water, strange fish and weeds all displayed on plinths with the water level at eye level; and video 'the human mask' which follows a small girl, who is actually a monkey with a mask and wig on, waiting in, and exploring an ornate oriental house/shop on a derelict street.


On first encounter the works are compelling, each suspended in a kind of stasis, not progressing but being. Each works has a strong physical presence in the room, due to size or materials, but most importantly they seem to be existing there, almost without us. Each work feels that it is tackling the question of being and living, purposefully blurring the lines between being and art. After reading the context or sitting with the work for longer these lines are blurred further - the sculpture has an internal heating system making it the temperature of the human body, the water tanks are from Monet's waterlilly pond, the video takes inspiration from a cafe in Japan where a monkey has been trained to be a waitress, wearing the mask and wig, as well as the footage which was taken from Fukushima.


The stasis and seeming blindness of the art objects allows for a slow dreamlike quality in the gallery enabling us to explore these articles that exist on the edges of art and life.  



I find this inspiring as it is the gallery equivalent of an intervention - instead of siting art within life, here life is situated within the artwork. In this exhibition we can almost live through the works for a brief moment, as apposed to the works living through us momentarily.

Audio Roulette - Ready to Play!

Audio Roulette is an interactive artwork, offering you the unexpected from within your own headphones.

It’s a game for people who listen to music on a portable device. We’ve created a number of mystery tracks that you can hide within your playlists. You’ll then discover these tracks at random : audio roulette !

The mystery tracks are not musical, but are recordings of places and spaces designed to interrupt your listening routine. The intent of the game is to invite the unexpected into our day-to-day routines, interrupting not only our music but ourselves too.

The tracks are designed to surprise or transport you, before returning you to the safety of your headphones. They are short 30 second recording of a place, space or activity.  Sounds include exotic locations such as the rain forests of Borneo, as well as every-day sounds of urban life from London and areas of the UK. Tracks are recorded binaurally, giving realistic and immersive 3-d sound.

Visit http://soundry.com/audioroulette to play.

Audio Roulette is on Twitter

We're getting ready for Audio Roulette, a new twitter account is up and ready for feedback from those listening to the roulette tracks.

Keep an eye on:  @AudioRoueltte

Creating a new art guide

I've just completed a graphic design course to develop my visual communication skills and I have been developing an art guide leaflet. It is based on an idea that i've had for a long time now, but it is finally being turning into a reality. 

Here is a sneak peak, but I am just finishing of the design so more to come soon!

Audio Roulette - Launching this month!

Audio Roulette is an interactive, online art work. 

You're invited to play by simply uploading our mystery Roulette tracks to your iPod / Phone, hiding them within your playlists and then listing to your music on headphones.

You'll hear the tracks at random in between your music, through your headphones, in everyday life.

The intent of Audio Roulette is to interrupt your listening routine, while bringing creative actions out of the gallery and into everyday life.

Soundry, a creative listening laboratory and online publication are hosting this project on their website: www.soundry.com

Audio Roulette - work in progress

Thanks to all that completed the survey about listening. I've learned a lot, and perhaps a little too much about when and how some people like to listen to music!

The majority of us use iPhones/iPods, iTunes and listen to albums, playlists or everything on shuffle. This is mainly while travelling - walking, bus, train, tube, aeroplane, taxis. But exercise and at work / studio came up a lot too.
And we're addicted ... with the majority of people saying they listened daily / most of the week.

Which makes the perfect conditions for Audio Roulette.

The research has given me lots of info about other music players that I hadn't heard of and helpful info about how much you use platforms like spottify or sound cloud that I know about and use. But what was even more interesting was everyones short descriptions of when and how they like to listen, which showed that despite our commonality here, we all do it our own way.

Whats next:
I'm busy preparing the sounds. I've spent the day wondering around east London listening to music and rouletting myself. My short list is getting edited down and I'm thinking of more ways to do this. What's more, I'm rekindling my love of music - its been a long time since I put headphones on and got lost to music.