Stimmen
I wanted to make a sound-wave of voices that would travel trough the space and where the course and duration would be defined by the order and time span in which the visitors (who had been requested to participate) entered and remained the space.
Situation and performance:
Chairs were placed in a row along the central line of the L-shaped space, each facing in a direction opposite to the one next to it.
There was a large clock in the corner.
It was announced that the work would begin at 8 p.m.
On arrival, each visitor was presented with the following text:
“You are requested to participate in this voice sculpture for 30 minutes. Please wait until you're taken to your place.
Sit down and make long, relaxed vocal sounds.
You should make your volume a little lower that the person next to you. You can define the pitch and the length of the pauses yourself but do it so that you can continue steadily for half an hour.
Try to keep the sound at the same volume as much as possible for 30 minutes.
If each participant stops after half an hour and leaves the row, the sculpture will finish when the last two arrivals, who will make low soft tones, leave the row.
Postscript:
14 people participated in the sculpture (Almost all the people who visited the performance)
The last people began at 8.30pm so that the whole process lasted an hour. Hence the sound not only became softer, but traveled from the closest points on the L-shape to the furthest; the last two performers couldn't see each other.
year | 1986 |
date | 17.09.1986 |
location | Moltkerei Werkstatt Cologne |
performed by | visitors |
photography | Toine Horvers |