live performance – soundart

When All Is Said – Changing Medium In Live Performance:

Media art has been profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic, as have many other facets of our existence. Artists and curators have had to come up with new ways to present their work and interact with audiences as actual galleries, exhibits, and events have either been shut down or limited. The main method of presentation is now through virtual exhibits and online platforms, which enable viewers to enjoy art in the privacy and comfort of their own homes. The epidemic has also drawn attention to social and political themes, like loneliness, connection, and the influence of technology on our lives, that media art frequently examines. Despite its difficulties, the pandemic has inspired fresh kinds of creativity and teamwork in the media art community.

After the pandemic, this has continued within areas of live performance. I recently attended an online live show over the telephone – ‘When All Is Said’. This was a 5 short play written by black trans people. The play was completely improvised and delivered by their voices over the phone. The technological barrier between the actors and the audience became a bond within the mood and context of the play; mirroring a phone call. I found the piece extremely moving and effective. It proved the effectiveness technology within live performance can bring; making it more authentic to our reality.

The face of live performance is slowly changing and I would love to experiment in ways beyond the auditory and involve different mediums just like ‘When All Is Said’.

How Global Change Encourages New Forms Of Sonic Practices:

Today’s civilisations are hyper-aware of the crisis we find ourselves in environmentally. Global warming rates are at the point of emergency; as a result, most of society is choosing to change their daily practice, including artists! Issues behind waste consumption are encouraging artists to change/be more aware of the materials they use. Makoto Oshiro is a Berlin – Tokyo-based performer and artist. He focuses his live work on vibration and interference; more often using recycled everyday materials and attaching them to motors or moving devices in order to sound. Working alongside his performance group ‘The Great △(夏の大△)’ their sonic work makes the simple- effective! Oshiro’s performance work could often be considered sculpture-based artwork; creating huge spectrums of sonic machinery from recycled materials. Aware of the fragility of materials, many artists are beginning to blend their practices. There has become a sense of efficiency and frugality within the sound art world; now we know about the delicacy of sustainability of objects. Oshiro’s work is a great example of how he merges more than one medium of artwork; making recycled junk the primary core of the creative process. I believe artists are beginning to create art with an echo wary conscience. Whereas before artists would focus their production process on sound; making it the primary source- searching for materials specifically suitable towards their sonic needs. This would encourage the overproduction of new materials. However, nowadays artists are looking beyond mass consumption and assessing materials before they chose to create sound. This slows down the rate of production and the creation of extra material in the world and ultimately becomes a more efficient and green way of creative thinking and doing.