Bergen Centre for Electronic Arts

Welcome to BEK – Bergen Centre for Electronic Arts during B–Open. Ràdio Web MACBA, an online radio project based at MACBA Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, will take control over BEK on this day, and fill the studios and spaces with listening sessions, talks and sound compilations. 

Radio Web MACBA (RWM) is a radio-beyond-radio that dwells in the folds and intersections of critical thinking, contemporary art, artistic research, activism, knowledge transfer, sound… and everything in between. RWM produce podcasts which can be listened to on demand, downloaded, and/or subscribed to. They also publish essays, texts, and related documentation, on the verge of filecasting. On 16-22 September, RWM Working Group will be holding a residency in BEK’s studios and spaces.

During B-Open, they invite the public to an open house at BEK, with a listening space for a collapsed electromagnetic soundscape of the city of Bergen, an online talk “A Blaze in the Ether: Electromagnetism, Radio and the Rise of Esotericism” with Roc Jiménez de Cisneros, an antennas compilation with Ivonne Villamil and the RWM Working Group, as well as a listening room with a selection of RWM podcasts and other archival material. 

The listening space will operate as way to share and activate the insights and results from the workshop Electromagnetic Brunch, which will be held at BEK days prior to B–Open, through a live mix of an electromagnetic soundscape consisting of streamings and recordings of the devices developed during the workshop, bridging the electromagnetic explorations held around Bergen with the indoor listening space at BEK.

Programme
12:00–17:00
Open house
14:00 “A Blaze in the Ether: Electromagnetism, Radio and the Rise of Esotericism” by Roc Jiménez de Cisneros
In the late 19th century, the discovery of electromagnetism and the invention of radio revolutionised how we understand the world, revealing invisible forces and disembodied voices, which in turn fuelled an explosion of esoteric thought. Join us as we explore how the mysteries of radio waves and electromagnetic fields inspired new spiritual movements, reshaping society’s views on the unseen and the mystical. The talk will be streamed on Vimeo.

On this occasion the RWM Working Group will be represented by pantea, Albert Tarrats, Anna Ramos, Roc Jiménez de Cisneros and Ivonne Villamil. 

pantea

pantea is a sound artist from Iran engaging with narratives of ecological and more-than-human connection. Her work has incorporated creative writing, walking, performance, film, photography, and audiovisual design. They are co-directing the sound art collaborative So with Soundcamp Cooperative and co-facilitating Khamoosh, a transdisciplinary community dedicated to preserving and archiving Iranian sonic heritage. They are a member of the Radio Web MACBA working group, and is currently learning about socially-engaged practice and community-based work by exploring possibilities brought about by listening.

Albert Tarrats

Albert Tarrats works with sound and electronics, exploring alternative auditory formats and the relationship with space and with others, through live performances and the construction of sound objects and devices. He is currently researching how to compress mountains and is a member of the Ràdio Web MACBA Working Group.

Anna Ramos

Anna Ramos is responsible for Radio Web MACBA, the online radio project from the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA), which was founded in 2006. She is an enthusiastic member of the RWM Working Group, and lives and works in Barcelona.

Roc Jiménez de Cisneros

Roc Jiménez de Cisneros is an artist from Barcelona. In 1996, he founded the computer music project EVOL, which has been the core of much of his artistic output to date. His approach can be understood as an aesthetic exploration of algorithmic composition and a deconstruction of rave culture.

Ivonne Villamil

Ivonne Villamil is an artist and researcher. Departing from the exploration of one of the components of Acoustic Ecology: geophony (or sounds of the earth), she currently works with listening devices and practices that are closely related to matter, memory and territory in Latin America. Her projects include different media such as installation, sculpture, drawing, sound art, audiovisual or performance; that create multiple narratives that address geopolitics, poetics and technology in the relationship between body and nature.

The project is organised by BEK in cooperation with Ràdio Web MACBA. It is part of New Perspectives for Action, a project by Re-Imagine Europe, co-funded by The European Union. The event is part of B-Open 2024, which takes place in the City of Bergen on Saturday 21 September from 12:00 to 17:00. B-Open is an annual art festival in September where professional artisans and visual artists open their studios to the public. The festival has free access and is aimed at all age groups.

Accessibility

BEK’s space unfortunately is not wheelchair accessible. Please send us an email at bek@bek.no if you’re using a wheelchair, and we’ll do our best to facilitate your needs. Our space has all gender toilet facilities. Service dogs are welcome. We also provide the option of a quiet room.

Image: RWM, photo: Gemma Planell