I am so pleased to announce the culmination of my experimentation and research as a UK associate artist at Delfina Foundation as part of the thematic programme science_technology_society, in partnership with Gaia Art Foundation.
‘Join artist Louise Beer and participate in a live, collective listening and contemplation of the night sky and our connection to it.
As the sun sets over the enormous volcanic landscape of the remote Hinewai Reserve in Aotearoa New Zealand, the sky begins to reveal an infinite display of stars and planets, appearing like heavy lights against a pitch-black sky.
As a result of light pollution, many of us across the globe have lost our night-time view of the Milky Way, which can have a philosophical impact on the way we see our ecosystems. When we can no longer look outwards and see our galaxy, we lose a sense of the scale of the emptiness, the expanse of the darkness, and by contrast, the sheer magnificence and fragility of our natural world.
The short live broadcast, A Memory of Darkness, comprises a sonic piece created using field recordings of bird song from Louise’s recent experience at Hinewai Reserve, in her native Aotearoa New Zealand. Alone, looking outwards over the Pacific Ocean, as the warm breeze rustled the native trees nearby and the Rurus (Morepork owls) sang out into the night, the artist experienced overwhelming feelings of both wonderment and environmental grief in equal measure.
The artist invites participants from across the world – who will receive instructions by post – to join her at 19:00 GMT on 17 December to collectively listen to this new sound piece and recall our own memory of the darkness, considering its significance. The field recordings in this piece were made during Louise’s recent residency at The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora.’
To Book
To participate, please register, providing your postal address, on Eventbrite using the link below. You will then be sent a package by post containing instructions on how to listen to the 20 minute-live broadcast at 19:00GMT on Thursday 17 December 2020.
Due to the limited places available and the cost of postage, we ask you to refrain from signing up unless you are certain you will be able to attend the event.
There are a set number of places available for different postal zones. If you have any questions please email us at guestlist@delfinafoundation.com.