MIRA CALIX ‘languedeson’ 03.07. – 25.07.15
Mira Calix Bio Mira Calix is an award winning ar0st, composer and performer based in the United Kingdom. Music and sound have always been at the center of her prac0ce, which she con0nues to integrate with visual media and technological innova0on to create mu@i-‐disciplinary installa0ons and performance works. Mira has been commissioned by many leading interna0onal cultural ins0tu0ons, fes0vals and ensembles including the London SinfonieEa, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Aldeburgh Fes0val, the Melbourne Recital Centre, Performa, Na0onal Portrait Gallery, the Ins0tute of Contemporary Art, Beijing Museum of Contemporary Art, the Manchester Interna0onal Fes0val and The Mayor Of London. She has collaborated with musicians and other ar0sts from across the spectrum, including Conrad Shawcross, Sarah Lucas and United Visual Ar0sts to create both permanent and temporary installa0ons in the United Kingdom and interna0onally. Mira Calix recently premiered Inside There Falls, her new mixed media installa0on at Bay 17 Carriagworks as part of Sydney Fes0val 2015. The artwork is mul0 -‐sensory large scale installa0on of paper, sound and movement. A blanched new landscape that seamlessly blends technological innova0on and organic materials exploring the nature of storytelling and featuring choreography by Rafael Bonachela and performed by Sydney Dance Company. Calix is currently working on a new adapta0on of the Orestei for the Shakespeare Globe in London. This new produc0on will premiere September 2015 , directed by Adele Thomas and wriEen by Rory Mullarkey.
languedeson In linguis0cs, human language is considered to be a system of sounds, symbols, and meaning. Ferdinand de Saussure dis0nguished between the no0ons of langue and parole in his formula0on of structural linguis0cs. According to him, parole is the specific uEerance of speech, whereas langue refers to an abstract phenomenon that theore0cally defines the principles and system of rules that govern a language. It is common for scholars in cogni0ve science and cogni0ve neuroscience interested in music to draw comparisons with language. However, language is most likely to be considered as a contrast to music. Unlike other universal domains of human exper0se. such as vision or social organisa0on, both music and language are organised temporally, with the relevant structures unfolding in 0me. There is no objec0ve interpreta0on, in respect to models of music cogni0on. Regardless of the mechanism by which our brain accomplishes, Calix considers how we interpret, deduce, recall, or create musical meaning subjec0vely, whether it is wriEen or heard, in her new solo exhibi0on. In this new collec0on of mixed media artworks, Mira Calix has examined the mul0ple specialised wriEen and visual languages she use to create music and sound; classical nota0on, waveforms, readable protocols etc….transposing their anatomy across mul0ple forms into sonic materialisa0ons and ideograms working in paper, ink, steel and sound.
Sound is the centre od my prac0ce. I use sound to communicate concepts, meaning and a narra0ves. With this collec0on of works I’m looking to re-‐interpret my own par0cular system of sounds and symbols by taking them out of the theore0c, prescrip0ve and computa0onal worlds they inhabit, into a more corporeal form and in doing so, further my con0nued explora0on of the objec0fica0on of sound. I have transformed the syntax of sonic crea0on and musical interpreta0on into sculptural forms. With this purpose, I have chosen to make my primary materials, the fundamentals of wriEen language – paper and ink. The ink -‐ a ferrous oak gall ink – dates back to the 4th Century. The gradual darkening of the ink is due to the oxida0on of the iron ions from ferrous. Gall ink decays on paper. The iron-‐tannic pigment cannot make chemical bonds with the cellulose fibers. The ink s0cks firmly to the paper. The dried ink penetrates the spaces between the fibers and a@er drying, becomes entngled in them. It’s for this reason, sec0ons of many scores, like Brumel’s Et ecce terrae motus and other ancient literary works have been lost over 0me. The impermanence of Gall Ink reflects the transient nature of sound – the compression and expansion of air over 0me. These materials, along with aluminium, steel, glass, copper and custom electronics, have been utli0sed to compose these audio & visual artworks.
‘Dynamique Sonore Stalk’
Dynamique Sonore Slide’
Dynamique Sonore Seduce’ Dynamique Sonore Simmer’
Dynamique Sonore Sorrow’
Dynamique Sonore Soar’,
2015, wall-mount, paper, gall ink, pastel, powder coated aluminium frame hanging system, ca. 120 x 180 cm, each $6,000 Terms of sale: 10% deposit on reservation. Balance on collection. Prices as of July 2015. All prices listed may change without notice. All prices include GST.
‘Scritto 1- 4’, 2015, paper, ink, acrylic, 48 x 37 cm, each $1,200
‘ὀνοματοποιία’, Movement 1 -‐ 4’, 2015, custom electronic and sensors, paper, base 25 x 25 x 12 cm, dimensions variable, each $8,000
‘The wine-dark-sea’, 2014, hand print and fold, 2014, paper, copper, copper paint, sound art work, powder coated steel frame and custom electronics, 100 x 100 x 7 cm, edition 5 of 5 +1AP, (produced in relation to installation ‘Inside there falls’ Carriageworks), P.O.A Sound Piece 1 ‘I desire no commendation’, 2013, voice and electronics, featuring voice Sarah Lucas, 10 min, quadraphonic piece, (collection of National portrait gallery), edition of 50 + 2 a.p., $300 Sound Piece 2 ‘Esesesimweni Emhlabeni’, 2012, voice, piano, electronics, 30 min, quadraphonic piece, (collection of Institute of Contemporary Art), edition of 50 + 2 a.p., $300
Terms of sale: 10% deposit on reservation. Balance on collection. Prices as of July 2015. All prices listed may change without notice. All prices include GST.
2015 languedeson – DOMINIK MERSCH GALLERY, Sydney Trichotomy – a musical response to Conrad Shawcross’s Three Perpetual Chords – commissioned by Southwark Council and the Contemporary Arts Society Inside There Falls – installation presented by Sydney Festival and co-commissioned by Brett Clegg, Gretel Packer, Simon and Catriona Mordant AM & Sydney Festival Project Partner: Sydney Dance Company. Supported by: City of Sydney, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Andrew Rothery & Julia Champtaloup 2015 2014 Momentum – United Visual Artists – Musical Director – commissioned by the Barbican, Curve Gallery 2014 2013 he fell amongst roses – commissioned by the Metropolis New Music Festival – premiere Melbourne Recital Centre Passage – with United Visual Artists commissioned by Sultrans and the Two Tunnels Group Funeral Music – a re-interpretation of Lutotslowski’s,for Polish Masters -commissioned by Sacrum Profanum Festival 2013 2012 Nothing Is Set In Stone – presented by the Mayor Of London and Oxford Contemporary Music in partnership with the Natural History Museum, Exhibition Road Group , Fairlop Waters Country Park, Overcraft and Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure and Mira Calix – part of the London 2012 Festival 2011 We Are Over There – with Larry Goves commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic The Orchestrion – commissioned by The Creators Project and United Visual Artists Just One More Thing – commissioned by Robert Black (Bang On A Can)/Soundwaves Festival I Desire No Commendation– commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery and Illustrius Love From Cada – commissioned by Festival Cultural Electroni(K) Visiting Tarab – commissioned by Performa 2011 and the Sharjah Art Foundation curated by Tarek Atoui
2010 The Adventures Of Prince Achmed – commissioned by Birds Eye View Half Flower, Half Self – commissioned by Opera North Spring Falls Back – commissioned by Bang On A Can Brainwaves – commissioned by Faster Than Sound Melodies From My Mothers Knees – commissioned by Octum Fables A Film Opera – The Boy Who Cried Wolf – commissioned by Streetwise Opera 2009 Chorus – with United Visual Artists – – commissioned by Opera North Nunu Wadudu – Recovery/Discovery LP – commissioned by BMIC curated by Lieven Bertels Strata 2 – installation – commissioned by the Nemo Festival/Arcadi Musique pour Statues Menhirs – commissioned by Arbouse Recordings She’ll Be Around – commissioned by the Institute of Contemporary Arts 2008 Natures – commissioned by Faster Than Sound Transparent Roads – commissioned by Augusto Contento Rock Music/ Rock Art – commissioned by the London Sinfonietta Ort-Oard – commissioned by London Sinfonietta My Secret Heart – commissioned by Streetwise Opera 2007 Sonnet 130 – commissioned by The Royal Shakespeare Company and Opera North curated by Gavin Bryars Africa Joy Joy commissioned by Pollinari Onibus – commissioned by Opera North the Manchester International Festival 2006 Elephant And Castle – commissioned by the Aldeburgh Festival Dead Wedding – with Faulty Optic – commissioned by Opera North and The Manchester International Festival