___sonic performance__________________________________________________________________
In Secret Dens // sonic performance // preview 23 March 2023, Riverside Walk – Nine Elms Lane , US Embassy.
Project partner: Wandsworth Council_ Live Unit Project Royal College of Art_ MFA Arts and Humanities *23*24
The sonic performance preview is the first stage of a multilayered project started on the 23rd of March.
The journey along the Riverside Walk and surroundings involved a stroll embodying a structural vest inspired to Osmia Avosetta bee’s nest and culminating with a hood depicting a Sumac female flower. The vest is crafted from cotton fabric and enriched with layers of petal-like fire resistant textile components of various sizes. Each item was UV printed with customized patterns digitally manipulated from different environments through different techniques. Embedded inside the vest, an MP3 speaker continuously played soundscapes of playgrounds sourced from open platforms.The gentle volume was perceived as an invisible boundary (unless public were wearing their earbuds). Throughout the performance, unique interactions were based on foot proximity
Two bar codes positioned at both entrances of the Riverside Path serving as signage for flower beds markers, provided information about the event by redirecting first to a Linktree page and then to the website insecretdens.cloud.. Pedestrians engaged the walking sculptural body solely through spatial proximity: both movement and sonic presence spread from the human-nest elicited different reactions across curiosity, fascination, perplexity, playfulness, puzzlement. The walk intentionally lacked theatrical demeanour, rather being carried out in a comfortable manner akin to a stroll, despite the mass of clothing.
The route primarily covered the Thames path and the vicinity of the US Embassy Gardens, mostly depending on the positive involvement received from a selected audience in the area. Given the overcrowded character of the venues near the Battersea Power Station, the “uncanny” presence in a mix-use area could divert the sense of the performance from its original purpose to mere amusement or entertainment.
__insights_______________________________________________________________________________________
Linktree landing page on the day
a flower that makes sense
Staghorn Sumac is considered an invasive species in the UK, it settles mostly in disturbed soil, along roads. Some plants are available at the Battersea Park and they’re statistically captivating to public’s curiosity. It’s interestingly native to North America, Eastern US and Middle East. Its journey metaphorically culminates into the symbol of Iranian Springtime. Worldwide traditions relate the Sumac tree to the energy of nature and to bring harmony among people and new families.
osmia avosetta bee's nests
Osmia avosetta bee is a unique pollinator, from the species of mason bees and solitary by nature, whose uniqueness is that they use flower petals to construct nests for their larvae. They do not produce honey, do not have a queen, or live in hives. Their native habitat is typically found in Southwest Asia, but it was also observed in Turkey and in Iran, Syria, and Jordan. What makes the Osmia avosetta bee unique is that they use flower petals to construct nests for their larvae.