SYSTEM by musician and performance artist Gaika tells the history of sound system culture and challenges the media perception of Carnival by showcasing stories, characters, statistics and under celebrated sound system culture of Carnival and beyond.
For Gaika, Carnival and the fixed sound system are a bold demonstration of immigration, blackness and raw technical power. The installation invites guests to immerse themselves in a shared narrative, historical knowledge and interact with an overwhelming black architectural system.
The installation will serve as a real world architectural access point to the audio visual interpretation of Notting Hill Carnival archive source material. The installation is designed to be an interactive, functioning large scale audio visual sculpture which visitors can plug in and play music.
Each Tuesday and Thursday during SYSTEM, Boiler Room, Gaika and Somerset House Studios will be hosting a number of parties to be announced in the weeks building to Notting Hill Carnival. Featuring sound systems from the most cutting-edge creators in the industry, the series will give a platform to new talent inspired by sound system culture to perform alongside the original selectors, in events broadcast worldwide by Boiler Room and co-hosted by Gaika.