Five immersive audiovisual works that combine digitally generated visuals by Kurokawa and sound explorations by Thanasis Kaproulias (working under the moniker Novi_sad). An impressive body of work which explores the aesthetics of data and the visual representation of economic crisis.
Sirens is a collection of digitally rendered visual formations and sound compositions whose intensity fluctuates as in relation to the unfolding of the economic downturn. Tied to the fate of the global markets, the more the economy fails (as represented by data and indexes); the more developed and complex the coupled sounds and visual sequences become. Any disintegration of financial fortunes leads directly to the emergence of a greater creative energy in an inverse “tug-of-war”. Sirens elucidates the relationship between generative visualisation and cinematic practices, as this computer generated video work transforms our understanding of the relationship between moving image, data and the cinematic. By immersing the spectator in an audiovisual scape and narrative, the work heightens the performativity of processes, be they “technological ” or “natural ”. The title of the work is inspired by the Greek mythological creatures that seduce sailors ashore into danger, as a metaphor for market fervour leading to economic collapse.
The source audio belongs to
Richard Chartier,
CM von Hausswolff, Jacob Kirkegaard, Helge Sten (Deathprod, Supersilent) and Beckie Foon (A Silver Mt. Zion, Set Fire to Flames).
Please note: all the copies still available have a slight defect (slightly bent corners).Ryoichi Kurokawa (born 1978, lives and works in Berlin, Germany) is a Japanese artist whose works take on multiple forms such as installation works, recordings, and concert pieces. He composes the time sculpture with the field recordings and the digital generated structures, and reconstructs architecturally the audiovisual phenomenon. In recent years, his works are shown at International festivals and museums including Tate Modern, Venice Biennale, Transmedial (Germany), and Sonar (Spain). In 2010, he was awarded the Golden Nica at Prix Ars Electronica in the Digital Musics & Sound Art category.
Athens-based artist Thanasis Kaproulias (born 1980, lives and works in Athens, Greece), working under the moniker Novi_sad is as much engaged by nature and the rudimentary sounds that are borne of remote environments as he is by the act of representing them. With an accomplished technical ability, as well as a sensitivity for the nuances of his considered locations, Novi_sad carefully recontextualises the scenery. The artist engages with the landscape by producing field recordings whose intensity is revived in spaces as sound pieces performed in-situ. Novi_sad treats every sound with integrity with a resulting resonance that invites and immerses the listener. Using an innovative approach inspired by the idea of “cinema pour l'oreille” (cinema for the ear), Novi_sad aspires to “donner à voir” (lead to seeing), by means of sound. Many of the artist's projects are focused on architectural acoustics. His process brings unique field recordings into contact with various methods of audio analysis, as well as utilising quantitative and numerical data from different sources such as NASA. Novi_sad's projects have been presented internationally including at the Venice Biennale Film Festival, Venice; MUTEK Festival, Montreal and Mexico City; Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Amsterdam; Le Fresnoy - Studio National D'Arts Contemporains, Lille; Roy O. Disney Concert Hall, CalArts, Los Angeles; Itaú Cultural, São Paulo; Megaron/The Athens Concert Hall, Athens; VPRO National Radio, Amsterdam; Cabaret Voltaire, Zurich; National Academy of Music, Aarhus; Einstein Kulturzentrum, Munich; and MAM/Museum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro. In his works with audiovisual projects and film, Kaproulias has collaborated with notable artists and filmmakers including Lars von Trier,
Ryoichi Kurokawa, Isaac Niemand, Yorgos Zois and Karl Lemieux.
