Watch a film exploring from the tenth edition of Wysing Polyphonic which was guest curated by Somerset House Studios.
Considering the legacy of Wysing Arts Centre as a place where artists meet and experiment, the 2019 programme explored connection beyond the physical: connection as a channel of communication; an incantation, returning, or heralding; the calling on an ‘other’ or unknown to understand different worlds and possibilities.
BEATRICE DILLON X TTB, ZULI, JESSE DARLING, ZIÚR, LORAINE JAMES, MUN SING, FLORA YIN-WONG, JENNIFER WALSHE, AMRA, ERICA SCOURTI, BROOD MA, VALENTINA MAGALETTI, NSDOS, MARIJA BOZINOVSKA JONES, JACOB SAMUEL, EMMA SMITH, HMURD, SONIC CYBERFEMINISMS AND MORE.
During a residency in August, Ahmed El Ghazoly – also known as Cairo producer and multi-instrumentalist ZULI – developed a performance for Wysing Polyphonic. Returning as extended Polyphonic family Jennifer Walshe, Valentina Magaletti and Beatrice Dillon performed at the festival, Dillon presenting a unique back-to-back set with current Studios’ ‘curator in residence’ Tabitha Thorlu-Bangura (NTS). Both Flora Yin-Wong and Somerset House Studios alumni Erica Scourti performed newly commissioned works, and current residents Paul Purgas and Imran Perretta (AMRA) presented their commissioned performance from the Studios’ 2018 ASSEMBLY series. Berlin’s mould breaking techno producer Ziúr presented the live UK debut of her new album.
Studios artists Marija Bozinovska Jones, hmurd and Jacob Samuel performed, alongside Quantum Native’s founder Brood Ma. Hybrid artist NSDOS presents new performance SENDING.MOVEMENT 2.0, a creation of augmented music and dance, and Mun Sing, the juddering new solo project of Giant Swan’s Harry Wright, closed the Amphis stage ahead of new Hyperdub signing Loraine James.
The festival included a specially curated programme of artists films, talks and discussions hosted by Emily Bick, Deputy Editor, The Wire; Tabitha Thorlu-Bangura, Curator in Residence at Somerset House Studios; and Dr Adam Harper, musicologist and music critic. They were joined by Natalie Hyacinth (Sonic Cyberfeminisms), James Stringer (Brood Ma), Flora Yin-Wong, Jennifer Walshe, Ziúr and ZULI. Topics explored how artists, musicians and audiences in the digital age create and shape their own realities, beyond the laws of physics; ways in which sonic, visual and social technologies have challenged notions of power, agency and belief; and how it’s possible to create semi-mythical whole(s) from going fragments, re-othering language, digital incantations and sonic translations.
Responding to the festival’s guiding theme of connection beyond the physical, Wysing Polyphonic’s 2019 film programme will include work by Aleksandra Domanović, Kristen Gallerneaux, Lawrence Lek, Project O, and Katarina Zdjelar.
