photo by Michela Di Savino
The point of departure for this work is a series of listening exercises for exploring the relation between sound, space, and movement. After having presented the exercises as pedagogical tools for more than ten years as part of my workshop practice, I’ve decided to use them as source material for developing choreographed actions and performances.
Exploring the interdependence between touch and sound and the capacity of the body to filter and modulate the propagation of sound in space, the work reflects on the active role of the listener and on their agency to act upon and intervene within the acoustic field.
Video documentation (PSSWRD: “LAI2021″).
performances
FIRE FROM WITHIN
A selection of firecrackers, fire fountains and fireworks are light up from within a drum set. The explosions grow up to the point where they cannot be contained anymore. The drum set gets on fire and burns down.
The piece reflects on the dramatic end of a body (drum set) that has been fed with fear and doubts about realizing his/her right to self-empowerment and freedom.
THE BLOWS FROM OUTSIDE
A microphone is treated with hot wax drops and eventually set on fire…
the mic is exposed
no armor to wear
facing the world
a punch in the chest
each touch is a mark
each flame is a trace
its body a map that accumulates
the sound it makes
a desperate cry
feeling all those blows
until it dies
photo by Katerina Tamvaki
NIGHT WALKS
Night Walks was presented at Où sont les sons? Where Are Sounds?. Centrale for Contemporary Arts, Brussels. Curated by Nicole Gingras. More about the walks.
EACH TOUCH IS A MARK
A performer walks in a space holding a snare-drum in front of their face. Another performer positions themselves opposite to the other and sets off a number of fire rockets aimed at hitting the snaredrum.”
Developed as a slow walk punctuated with bangs of varying intensity, the action aims to explore the sense of uncertainty one feels when faced with sudden changes.
SOLID BODY
A body moves in space modulating the acoustic feedback that occours between microphone and loudspeaker. According to the position occupied, the body can block or activate the feedback.
Starting from the exploration of the physical nature of sound waves (frequency and wave lenght), the performance reveals the capacity of the body to filter and alter the propagation of sound in space.
Rough video documentation (PSSWRD:”SB”)