Day Three: Saturday 8 November
TV Studio, Stockwell Street Academic Building
5.30-7pm: Concert 6 – Live November
Jelena Perišić – “What am I then? A dream?”
At the heart of this audio-visual piece is “Solaris”, Stanisław Lem’s cult science fiction novel (1961), its subsequent film adaptations: from 1968 (Nirenburg and Ishimbayeva), 1972 (Tarkovsky) and 2002 (Soderbergh), and my series of watercolor paintings inspired by “Solaris” — all in an intertextual/intermedial dialogue with each other.
“What am I then? A dream?” explores the blurred boundaries between the source text of “Solaris”, its film adaptations, and paintings inspired by it, but also dissolution of video as a (fixed) medium, the way it is usually shown and experienced, in fixed, inflexible spaces, sitting still in the assigned seat, with no closer contact with the projection screen, screening space, fellow viewers, or even one’s own body in relation to all of the above.
This piece allows blurring of the boundaries between the video, audience, and the screening space, where the audience becomes an intrinsic, organic part of the video, and the projection screen and screening space become more fluid, their fixity transcended.
“What am I then? A dream?” does not impose either questions or answers, and it does not require of the audience to have a background knowledge of either the novel or film adaptations — it simply asks of you to be there with it.
Additionally, it encourages you to move around freely throughout its duration and experience it from as many vantage points as you wish: sitting in the auditorium, standing at the back of the screening space, intercepting the projector beam and interacting with it with your body or random objects, lying on the floor, looking at a reflection of the video projection off a doorknob, piano, eyeglasses, floor, wall or some other reflective surface, with your face pressed directly against the projection screen, examining details with the naked eye or a magnifying glass, and so on.
Jelena Perišić (b. 1985, Serbia) is an intermedia artist-researcher. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Arts Practice at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick (2022- ), where she has also been (co-)tutoring on the modules Media Technologies for Performing Arts and Arts Research, Performing Arts Technology, and Research Skills: Ethnomusicology/Ethnochoreology/Arts Practice. She creates and mods/hacks sound, music, visuals, text, and found objects, exploring intermedia to discover alternative modes of creating, experiencing, and interacting with art and all life, across physical and digital realms. Her creative practice and research are not so much about creating cumulative pieces that encompass all media, but more about demonstrating the blurred boundaries between the (artistic/non-artistic) media, all of her works, and everything in the universe.
Website: https://www.kemmersound.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kemmer_loves_lem/
Shiell, Thompson, Wilson – live spontaneous improvisation to Livia Garcia’s graphic scores
Revisiting a well-received performance from S/I in 2015, in which an ensemble of musicians performed a live spontaneous improvised soundtrack to a silent film. For 2025, Ian Thompson (‘cello), Richard Wilson RA (percussion) and Stephen Shiell (electronics) will again perform a live improvised soundtrack to a short film sequence (TBC). They may be joined by other performers depending on availability.
Ian Thompson: Senior lecturer in Sound for Film and Television at University of Greenwich. https://idthompson.co.uk
Ian Thompson uses the ‘cello as a means of exploring the boundaries between music and sound, bringing its expressive power to bear in improvised performance. In other words, he doesn’t practice much but likes the noises it makes. With his remaining time, Ian is Senior Lecturer in Sound for Film and TV at the University of Greenwich where much of his work involves supporting students coming to terms with the limitations of their ocularcentricity. He’s also writing a book about audio technology that he might actually finish before the end of the decade.
Livia Garcia:
Artist and founding director of Project DIVFUSE, London, curating events for sound, multimedia, and experimental artists. https://www.liviagarcia.co.uk
Stephen Shiell:
Sound artist, musician, and member of performance duo Blanc Sceol. https://stephenshiell.co.uk
Richard Wilson:
Internationally renowned sculptor and member of Bow Gamelan Ensemble.
https://www.richardwilsonsculptor.com/
Paul Cousins – Reel-to-Reel
I create work that explores our relationship with technology once it has become obsolete. Using magnetic tape as a medium and tape machines as instruments, I create new sounds with forgotten, recycled equipment. These creations are rooted in the physicality of the obsolete machines I collect and maintain. My process involves deconstructing and resampling my own compositions until new ideas emerge, preserving the sonic artifacts that occur during the process. I want to examine the sound obsolete machines make when pushed to extremes. Leaning into the perceived flaws of tape as an audio format enables me to highlight its imperfect nature, in stark contrast to the perfection of digital music. Being able to physically touch and manipulate the recording format creates a connection, and is a tactile reminder of when physical sound was all we had. I feel it’s important to include the noises of the machines within my work for posterity. They make their own music, and it’s my goal to collaborate with them and keep them functioning.
I perform using 2 reel-to-reel machines and other analog equipment. I am currently exploring a/v performances to present my work live. A fixed camera above my workstation enables the audience to watch my tape experiments in real-time. The machines are projected behind me and serve as a visual accompaniment to the sounds I create. The technology is no longer obsolete.
Paul Cousins is a sound artist & composer based in London. Using a collection of 1/4” reel-to-reel machines, tape echoes and other analog equipment, he creates music on the themes of obsolete technology and imperfection. His compositions have featured in major installations at the Barbican, Whitechapel Gallery and in FACT magazine. In addition to releases with Decca, Castles in Space and BMG, in the studio he has worked on a diverse range of projects for major/indie labels and recorded Grammy winning artists. His recent sound installation ‘Atomised Listening’ invited visitors to interact with obsolete music technology at Stone Nest in London’s West End.
“Dreamy, meditative compositions” – FACT magazine
“Soaringly lovely” – Electronic Sound
“his exhibition Atomised Listening uses obsolete equipment as a feature, creating a sound sculpture that allows an interaction between the audience and the tapes they manipulate” – The Wire