Bootleg of K. Matthews’ sound installation

by lawrence

Shanghai-based sound artist WANG Changcun has uploaded two recordings he made of Kaffe Matthews‘ installation for Sound and the City Shanghai.

# sound_and_the_city_sh01.mp3
# sound_and_the_city_sh02.mp3

Here’s Wang’s notes translated into English, originally published in Chinese on his blog.

The first segment was recorded in front of the “sound wall”. The so-called sound wall is nothing but simple playback system of the recordings submitted by winners in a CD player, which is installed in a movable wall with headsets, so that you can approach and listen. Note: the headsets are crappy, look like the discount ones you see in the electronic market.

The second segment gives you a general idea of what Matthews’ Sound Bed sounds like. Note: the traditional Chinese music in the segment is not a part of Matthews’ work, but the background music of the open ceremony. In comparison, the imported Sound Bed of Matthews in the ground floor is much classier than the made-in-China sound walls of winners’ recordings. Of course, Sound Bed is a sound installation piece, something you won’t be able to grasp by merely listening to. Therefore I took advantage of the moment before the crowd swarming to admire the imported bed and lay on it for a while, eyes closed. I should go to see doctor, there must be something wrong with me, since I failed to feel anything in a sound installation piece by such a famous Western artist.

1. The background music is indeed annoying as a distraction to listening to the piece, even with a headset. (You don’t expect that kind of headset to be soundproof.)

2. The title of the event, Dushi Fasheng (from the translator: literally means “Cities making sound”), is lame. It inaptly suggests something loud and disturbing. (Later it turned out that this suggestion wasn’t “inapt” at all.) Why do I think the title is lame? Because cities don’t make sound, it’s the citizens, animals or vegetation that do.

3. Also about the title. I think “Yangren Fasheng” (from the translator: literally means “westerners making sound”) would be more accurate, or what about “Britons in China”?

4. The process of the event is quite similar to that of a high school sport meeting.

“All sound art people has come”? No, it’s the contrary, because the protagonist of the event is not sound but “cultural exchange between China and Britain.”

No thanks, I adore western culture, but not to this extent.

Related:

# Wang Changcun’s entry at Chinese New Ear.
# Wang Changcun’s blog (in Chinese).
# Wang Changcun’s webart.
# Search Wang Changcun in GNO.
# Another review (and photos) of the same exhibition by Wang.
# Sound and the City Shanghai official site (English) - still under construction!!
# Sound and the City Shanghai official site (Chinese)
# GNO’s posts related to Sound and the City Guangzhou




1 Comment »

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  1. Awesome post. “westerners making sound” indeed. Totally great.

    Comment by JPMF — May 5, 2006 #

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