Post-truth soundart – a conversation between Siri Austeen and Espen Sommer Eide
Published
Siri Austeen and Espen Sommer Eide have in their practices in different ways related to sound recording or “field recording” – a term that may mistakenly give the impression that the sound must be retrieved in exotic and dangerous places. BEK has invited them to a conversation where they present different projects they have participated in and discuss examples of how they have practically embraced field recording as an artistic strategy.
Austeen and Eide are participants in the project Reality-based audio workshop, which visited Mongstad oil refinery and CO2 capture plant this fall. The Mongstad sound material will now be a full-length feature film (surround sound without image) that will be premiere at the Borealis festival in March 2019. Questions whether such recordings from reality can have an ethical or political power today, in a post-truth era, will become an overall theme in the discussion. But also how different ways of treating the sound can transform it into musique concrète and other more poetic/musical forms. The conversation will end with improvisation/performance with audio material from the artists’ rich archives.
About Siri Austeen
Siri Austeen (born 1961) lives and works in Oslo. Austeen has in her artistic practice become concerned with the connections between sound, place and identity and consequently listening; both as an artistic method and as a way to be in the world. Sound and the act of listening relate to the passing of time, to the act of spending time and in that sense to how we live our lives. Austeen’s practice includes location-related audio installations, performance, music, sound for film and commissioned art projects. Siri Austeen received her education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Trondheim 1981 – 85.
About Espen Sommer Eide
Espen Sommer Eide is a composer and artist based in Bergen, Norway. Using music and sound as a starting point, his works investigates themes ranging from the linguistic to sensory biology, often resulting in long-term engagement with a specific site or culture. In addition to installation and performances, he has been a prominent representative of experimental electronic music from Norway, with main projects Alog and Phonophani, and a string of releases on the labels Rune Grammofon and Hubro.
His works has been exhibited and performed at Bergen Kunsthall, Bergen Assembly, Manifesta Biennial, Henie Onstad kunstsenter, Stedelijk Museum, De Halle Haarlem, Sonic Acts, Mutek festival, GRM/Presences Électronique, Performa Festival, Museo Reina Sofia and more. Eide is also a member of the theatre/art collective Verdensteatret, with extensive international touring and exhibitions.