Posted on

20191011

Subscribed to Kusksu a mailing list for sound-art and spotted “Radigue” at Space for Free Arts curated by MIF. The event was a part of Äänen Lumo and offered performances by Clara de Asís & Lauri Hyvarinen, Enrico Malatesta and Thomas Ankersmit. Maletesta played Occam XXVI a composition by Éliane Radigue, which uses two bowed cymbals and a frame drum. The bow agitated the cymbals, forming drones and their resonation transferred between the plates over air. Occasionally Malatesta hover a drum membrane over the cymbals to pickup and amplify low tones. He used sound to play sound over air!

Ankersmit performed “Perceptual Geography” (sample on soundcloud). It was really rewarding to see a serge modular live on stage. There were moments when it felt like he was playing every conceivable sound the same time. He was very loud and the performance was punctual. The execution of the piece felt like an academic study of noise. We were presented with tonal structures and spaces. They appeared abruptly, evolved and then suddenly crashed. It felt like the tones referred to nature. I couldn’t identify what I was listening but I could imagine hearing similar tones in a forest. I only recognize occasional square wave pulses in the beginning and the end of the set.

The piece is based on Ankersmits research on sound artist Maryanne Amacher. Particularly on her work concerning psychoacoustic phenomena and sound spatialization (recently popularized on youtube). During the gig I had the urge to tilt my head, so that I could avoid pain caused by a harsh drone tone. As I turned my head I felt a melody ringing inside my skull. I noticed other audience members bobbing their heads too. The experience was similar to the tingling which high resonance filter sweeps can cause. But this experience was more articulated, like an overtone melody which was forcefully positioned inside my head. The experience was a result of sound spatialization and this was the first time I hear it. I didn’t know it is possible to manipulate the spatial perception of the audience to this extent, let alone intentionally as a part of a performance!

Posted on

20190503

Sarah Cook: “Can’t log out” | Media Art Worlds conference (2018). A thorough presentation of the history of conceptual-to-internet-to-media-art. Side note: I shot and edited the video.

Tidal Club Helsinki “is a weekly open and freeform workshop, where we practise live coding programs together”. Heard from a good source that the spirit of the event is supportive and the community is welcoming.

Visited Pêdra Costas de_colon_isation parte III: the bum bum cream at the Museum of Impossible Forms last week. Costas was a good dancer and presented their work with confidencecraftiness. For me the performance made it clear that Abrahamic Folk have an obsession with discovering inner truths.

Updated these pages. Added new (old) entries to the portfolio section and new categories for the blog: Art writing (for critiques and analysis) and True story (for creative writing).

Bought a Dewalt DCD796D2-QW hammerdrill kit in preparation of a Union for Rural Culture and Education “Booth-Workshop” project in Pyhäjoki (in two weeks).

Cultural Significance of Cyberpunk (2019) Cuck Philosophy. A good overview with some new references. Got me thinking about crafts as an enclave (like cyberspace was) from were we can criticize capitalism from because crafts remains unpenetrated by it (because you can only hire or force skilled labor to produce things, but you cannot posses skills without transforming into a craftsperson #☭). Hackers are ultimately differentiated and valued for their craftiness.

[…] science fiction started to take the place of cultural theory. The genre itself was a breakdown of categories. […] human-nature with out the concept of wholeness […] breakdown of nature and humanity […] “Argument for pleasure in the confusion of boundaries and for responsibility in their construction.” -Haraway […] When there are no boundaries the cyborg takes pleasure in the construction of new ones […] cyberpunk today is not so much alive as it is undead.

I have to write this down to remember: There is an empty room, when we put a chair inside we loose our ability to see the emptiness. It’s not a room with a chair and emptiness, it becomes a room with a chair. For Derrida this is a case study of how binaries embed hierarchies in our perception (empty=bad/full=good). The emptiness of the room is still present but it’s subjugated by the presence of the chair. I think I hear this example in an episode of Philosophize This! #119 Derrida and Words (2018) Stephen West (Spotify link).

Posted on

20170615

Photos of the Sound of Work -exhibition online. Feeling happy about the display. The brick dust on the floors is a justified part of the exhibition. It draws focus to infra-art. Still waiting for videos of our gig to come online.

Served as a camera assistant in M-Cult’s Shades of Agency seminar and came to the realization that artist cannot make “community arts” – Only communities can make community arts. If an artist is involved the result can be art “with” or “about” a community.. But the result is just “art”. Community arts can be produced in a relationship or by initiative of a facilitator but no artist is needed. Only communities can make (or choose not to make) community art. #ॐ

Learning about The Museum of Impossible Forms. The project is challenging. Framing a temporary project space as a museum feels tandy. Who are they trying to convince and why convince them by dressing the project as a museum? Museums are dead.. They only move when bashed with critique. Challenges make them appear vital – Ignoring them is the best way to silence them. I’ll have to read why exhibit at all? by Lotte Arndt to understand the motivations with the group better.