white side…
black side…
I created two new works for a residency and exhibition in Beijing at Yuanfen New Media Gallery: a large sound painting called Constructing Bejing, and Beijing Diptych. These were based on field recordings I made in the city. I consider it an advantage that I was unfamiliar with the culture in that the sounds were new to me and held more potential than the sounds I’m familiar with. I listened to the way that people communicate with each other on the street, the way machines and cars intersect with the sounds of birds and humans. I found many different aural environments, both indoors and outdoors, and many surprises, such as live music or public announcements when I was least expecting them. Because Beijing is spread out, it is actually much more interesting sonically than New York, which is so dense that it is often at the point of information overload.
Beijing Diptych consists of two sound paintings hung back to back. The black side uses recordings made in busy parts of the city, such as main streets, electronics markets, busy restaurants, and crowded elevators. The white side uses recordings made outside of the city, in village markets and open fields.