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Event Spotlight: Sounds et al’s Music For An Empty Space and A Full Mind (through 4/29)

Sounds et al has collaborated with sonic artist Ben Glas, and visual artist Tyler Snazelle on a new exhibition—Music For An Empty Space and A Full Mind—running during April 2017 at the One Grand Gallery, Portland, OR. The compositions presented in this exhibition are experimental sonic works that question alternate modes of listening and experiencing. Utilizing space and focussing on the individual listener’s interaction, the sounds presented are relativistic to each individual and their movement through spacetime. Simply open your ears and partake in experiential listening. In doing so, the space itself becomes a kind of installation, begging to be ephemerally composed with. The event runs daily through this Saturday. Below is an interview with Andy Fry about the event. Enjoy!

DWP: First off, I love this event's title. Would you mind elaborating on the meaning behind it?

Andy: Ben Glas' compositions are heard differently by each individual who visits. As the listener moves around, and interacts with the physical space, the acoustics of the gallery and one's own psychoacoustics affect the perception of the sound. The combination of the space's acoustics, the subjective perception of an individual and sonic phenomena as produced by sine waves and their interaction with one another and space make for a relativistic experience. The title indicates the relationship between the space in which the compositions are played, and the individual listener. Music For An Empty Space allows the individual audience member to project their awareness into space and time, whereas Music For A Full Mind brings the composition into the mind of said individual. DWP: What do you see as Sounds et al's relationship with Portland's design community?

Andy: I moved from London to Portland about 2 years ago, and the label has been running for about a year now. Over the last year we've collaborated with different artists and businesses in and around Portland on our different projects—sound artists, graphic designers, printers, packaging experts...! Really looking to collaborate as much as possible. This current exhibition is a great example where Sounds et al has worked closely with Ben Glas, Tyler Snazalle and the One Grand Gallery to put this all together, and been fortunate to be a part of Design Week too. We've got more projects on the way at the moment, and I'd really like to see us as both engaging with the current design community, and also producing things that perhaps don't necessarily exist here yet. DWP: What types of tools or instruments will be used to create the music for this event (or is this a surprise)? 

Andy: These compositions will be simply played from a laptop, in stereo, out of two speakers. The compositions themselves are actually very simple, yet will have completely different properties when played in various rooms. This is based, again, on the subjective experience of the individual listener and the acoustic profile of the space the sound is presented in. My label, Sounds et al, will also be releasing these compositions on vinyl and digitally so you'll be able to experiment and compose a unique ephemeral experience at home, as the record lives on as an installation and or art object. Ben produced the compositions using Pure Data, a visual programming language that makes working with sinewaves and oscillators quite accessible.

DWP: Should attendees arrive with any expectations or mindsets to best enjoy the event? 

If people come with an open mind and open ears, I think they'll enjoy it! Coming at different times of day affects how the light interacts with the visual artwork from Tyler Snazelle, and we have seating so people are welcome to come and sit, work, read, sleep...however they'd like to enjoy the exhibition! Oh, and you can also come and talk to us! Event Details

Where: One Grand Gallery: 1000 E Burnside St When: Friday (Today) April 28th and Saturday, April 29th. 12:00 PM to 6:00. PM Cost: Free

Visit the event page for more information.

Other DWP events you may enjoy:

Dance Church

Burn After Listening: Fire and Ice

Official Closing Party!

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All or Nothing

A.A. Bronson, in his lecture Wednesday evening at the Graduate Visiting Artist Lecture Series at PNCA, shared what he’s learned about finding consensus, which he defined as “100% agreement within a group”. As a serial collaborator, it’s a subject with which he has experience. He and his two long-time collaborators, Felix Partz and Jorge Zontal, worked and lived together for twenty-five years, operating under the name General Idea. In addition, he’s the founder of Art Metropole, Printed Matter, File Magazine, and an array of other multi-person projects spanning the forty-five years of his professional life.

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AA Bronson lecture tonight at PNCA Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Venue: Swigert Commons, PNCA Cost: Free. No registration required. The MFA in Visual Studies welcomes AA Bronson as part of the 2012-2013 Graduate Visiting Artist Lecture Series. AA Bronson formed General Idea with Felix Partz and Jorge Zontal in 1969. The trio lived and worked together for 25 years, undertaking more than 100 exhibitions and public art projects. They were known for their magazine, FILE (1972–1989), their production of low-cost multiples, and their early involvement in punk, queer theory, and AIDS activism. In 1974, General Idea founded Art Metropole, a distribution center and archive in Toronto for artists’ books, audio, video, and multiples. Bronson’s solo work focuses on death, grieving, and healing. He founded the Institute for Art, Religion, and Social Justice at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. #dwpdx

Moving Things: AA Bronson tonight - way to add to Design Crush!  

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Design Week Day #2!

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Folks enjoying the Moveable Type Truck in front of MoCC (724 nw davis) #dwpdx

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This or That

Shizzle has started to go bazizzle around here. Design Week is kicking off and there are eleventy hundred events this week. Because the schedule runs concurrently, events are scheduled to overlap. One does not simply go to two events at the same time. Decisions will have to be made; tough ones. Sophie’s Choice level decisions.

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Design Week Portland at Instrument

Design Week Portland is from October 9-13. It brings together creatives across many different disciplines to explore process, craft and practice. Three events are taking place at Instrument we wanted to let you know about. We hope to see you!

FULLSCREEN PM Tuesday, October 9 / 6:30-9pm Free Admission

A casual, creative show & tell. Share something you’ve been building!

FULLSCREEN AM WITH JOE STUMP Wednesday, October 10 / 10-11am Free Admission

Part of the developer lecture series. Learn about interactive product design from Joe Stump, co-founder of SimpleGeo, Sprint.ly and Attachments.me.

THE STRAIGHT SIX Saturday, October 13 / 7-9pm $15 / $10 for students - Tickets available now. 

Straight talk from six leading design voices on a single theme: Forge. One of the six speakers is our very own Executive Creative Director, JD Hooge.