MIYA MASAOKA :: REFUGE IN THE VEGETAL WORLD

In the organizer's words:

:: IN GERMAN BELOW ::

MIYA MASAOKOA:
REFUGE IN THE VEGETAL WORLD

SOLO EXHIBITION

Presented as the 8th collaboration between SAVVY Contemporary and MaerzMusik Festival, REFUGE IN THE VEGETAL WORLD is a solo exhibition and activation series featuring composer, sound artist, musician Miya Masaoka.

The project takes cues from the seminal work Through Vegetal Being. Two Philosophical Perspectives by Luce Irigaray and Michael Marder, and highlights Miya Masaoka's lifelong body of work, dissecting the significance of vegetal lives, and exploring the myriad possibilities of collaboration between humans and more-than-human entities. Be it an installation, live performance or composition, the context in which each work exists and is presented is central to the artist's exploration. Thinking beyond the anthropocentric viewpoint that rigidly distinguishes between humans and the so-called "non"-humans, the works presented in this exhibition are continual endeavors to re-contextualize the perceived passivity and objectification of plants, animals and instruments as well.

The exhibition delves into Masaoka's multifaceted approach to sound and her profound connection to natural beings. Thus, Masaoka manifests as a shape-shifter, seamlessly transitioning between roles such as composer, performer, sound maker, and facilitator. Her identity undergoes a continuous metamorphosis from one piece to the next. Her body transforms into a living canvas where bees congregate and rest, where hands serve as vessels for translating sounds derived from the energies released by plants. Masaoka taps into the direct energy of plants, aligning with the lineage of deity spirits like the Kamui or Inau from Ainu mythology. These plants hold a vital significance, a crucial role on the stage during performances in Japanese tradition. In her sonic pieces more-than-human beings are active collaborators and essential components of a rich sonic tapestry. Masaoka invokes her alter persona, Hiko Hiko, echoing the lineage of female shamans, acting as a conduit that connects with the divine. She follows the path of water through human-made constructions such as fountains and pipes, reverberating its sonic footprint in a variety of ways.

The exhibition at SAVVY Contemporary will be accompanied by performative and sonic activations throughout and after the festival both within our physical space and on radio. The exhibition will open with a performance by Miya Masaoka, embodying her pseudo persona, Hiko Hiko. In the following weeks, "Cubistics", a three-dimensional score, will be performed by string players. Additionally, we are expanding our reach to the waves of SAVVY Contemporary's radio platform, SAVVYZΛΛR, where Masaoka's composition, "For Birds, Planes, and Cello," will be featured

MIYA MASAOKA Associate Professor at Columbia University and Director of the Sound Art MFA Program, is a composer, sound artist and musician who creates works for orchestra, acoustic phenomena, video, electronics and installation. Whether recording inside physical objects, plants or the human body or within architecturally resonant spaces or outdoor resonant canyons, Masaoka creates incongruencies that feed the paradox of the contemporary condition.

This program is a part of the "Topographies of Hearing" series at the MaerzMusik 2024 edition. The project is funded by Hauptstadtkulturfonds.

:: GERMAN ::

MIYA MASAOKA:
REFUGE IN THE VEGETAL WORLD
SOLO EXHIBITION

As part of the eighth collaboration between SAVVY Contemporary and MaerzMusik, the solo exhibition and event series REFUGE IN THE VEGETAL WORLD is dedicated to the work of composer, sound artist and musician Miya Masaoka.

The project takes reflections from the publication Through Vegetal Being. Two Philosophical Perspectives by Luce Irigaray and Michael Marder as a point of departure and illuminates Miya Masaoka's extensive body of work by examining the meaning of plant life and exploring the myriad possibilities of collaboration between human and non-human beings. The particular context in which each of her works exists and is presented - whether as installation, live performance or composition - is fundamental to the explorations in Masaoka's oeuvre: Beyond the anthropocentric view that strictly distinguishes between humans and so-called "non-humans", the works presented embody a constant effort to re-contextualize the perceived passivity and objectification of plants, animals and instruments.

Masaoka thus appears as a shape-shifter, seamlessly switching between the roles of composer, performer, sound producer and mediator. The exhibition reveals Masaoka's multi-layered approach to sound and her profound connection with nature. From one piece to the next, her identity undergoes an ongoing metamorphosis. Her body transforms into a living canvas on which bees congregate and rest, while her hands serve as vessels for the translation of sounds derived from the energies released by plants. Masaoka draws on the direct energy of plants and is inspired by the spirits of gods such as the Kamui or Inau from Ainu mythology.

In Japanese tradition, plants are of vital importance and play a decisive role in performances on stage. In her sound pieces, more than just human beings are active participants and essential components of a rich tapestry of sound. Masaoka evokes her alter ego, Hiko Hiko, who draws on the tradition of female shamans and acts as a link to the divine. She follows the path of water through man-made constructions such as fountains and pipes, reproducing its sonic footprint in a variety of ways.

The exhibition at SAVVY Contemporary will be accompanied by performative and sonic activities, both on SAVVY's premises and on SAVVY Contemporary's radio platform SAVVYZΛΛR. The opening will feature a performance by Hiko Hiko, Masaoka's alter ego. In addition, the three-dimensional score "Cubistics" will be performed by string players in the following weeks. Masaoka's composition "For Birds, Planes, and Cello" will be heard on SAVVYZΛΛR on March 24.

MIYA MASAOKA An adjunct professor at Columbia University and director of the Sound Art MFA Program, she is a composer, sound artist and musician who creates works for orchestra, acoustic phenomena, video, electronics and installations. Whether recording inside objects, plants or the human body, in architectural resonant spaces or resonant canyons in the open air, Masaoka always creates incongruities that address the paradox of the contemporary situation.

This program takes place as part of the series "Topographies of Hearing" of the 2024 edition of MaerzMusik 2024.
FUNDING The project is funded by the Hauptstadtkulturfonds.

Price information:

FREE ENTRY :: Donations welcome FREE ENTRY :: Donations welcome