JUNCTIONS:SYMPOSIA took place on the afternoon and evening of January 21st 2023, at Brasseries Atlas in Brussels. In the form of a symposium, cultural workers from Zürich and Brussels presented, performed and displayed work in order to initiate conversation and establish first contact with each other. Weaving links between both cities and a multiplicity of practices, the evening at Brasseries Atlas unfolded smoothly transitioning between readings, talks, listenings, conversations, screenings, dining, and concerts. Everyone involved including staff from the living space at the Brasseries was included in the collective project of JUNCTIONS:SYMPOSIA.
Words by Nelson Beer
SAY, SWING, SWIVEL: PERFORMANCE AND OPEN MIC
In the first part of the evening, the young performance duo Say, Swing, Swivel made of Eve Gabriel Chabanon and Nelson Beer offered a fifteen minute performance succeeded by an open mic. Texts read during this 45 minute time slot include a poem by Eve Gabriel Chabanon, their translation of a Justin Chin writing; Nelson Beer read a paragraph from Sort of Like a Hug: Notes on Collectivity, Conviviality and Care by Park McArthur; Axelle Stiefel read a piece by Elisa Storelli and an excerpt of Notes on Mother Tongues: Colonialism, Class, and Giving what You don’t Have and Rosa Schützendorf read an excerpt from Deborah Levy’s Real Estate.
CÉLINE GILLAIN ON SONIC PATRIARCHY AND FEMALE LOUDNESS
After the open mic, Bruxelles-based artist and pedagogue Céline Gillain gave a inspiring and emotional conference about female loudness and sonic patriarchy underlining the violence sound technologies, western philosophical thought and cultural institutions wield upon the rich dynamic range generated through diversity. Parts of the conference were sung, comedic, historical and embedde in gender studies and feminist theory and activism. While identifying masculinities in hegemonic cultural discourses, Céline managed to propose strong alternatives and shared important tools for re-imagining cultural institutional frameworks from a non-western and feminist perspective.
FENÊTRE OVALE ON COMPOSITIONAL RESEARCH AND MUTUALISATION
Fenêtre Ovale a collective of nine acousmatic composers, educated at the conservatoire de Mons, followed Céline Gillain’s talk by offering a radiophonic recording documenting their field research in various areas of Belgium, focused on rare folkloric sonic practices. This radiophonic experience was discussed in a group conversation with each member of the collective and audience. Questions ranging from specific sound manipulation techniques to aesthetics of documentation and the mutualisation of resources were responded to with generosity and attention. Gildas Bouchard, Simon Lehmans, Gaëtan Arheuro, Lucie Grésil, Thibault Madeline, Léa Roger, Clarice Calvo Pinsolle, Flavio Bagnasco and Julien Ortuno were able to articulate formal and elaborate arguments on a wide array of topics surrounding their research practices. The hour was concluded by another listening session manifesting the richness of each member’s compositional talent through a carefully crafted compilation of sounds.
SNYE
Throughout the whole symposium an independent distribution channel titled Snye designed and brought to life by Caterina De Nicola, Julien Dumont and Marc Jauss displayed a myriad of instruments, records, tapes, art objects and fashion accessories. All of them artist made, these objects attested of the professional craftsmanship of the independent art scenes of Brussels and Zürich. In an effort to build autonomous networks for art distribution, Snye bared witness to the efforts of collaboration, solidarity and interdependence. Out of every object carefully displayed behind the mysterious curtains of Snye, several artist’s contributions stand out, other represent a collective effort.
FROMHERETILLNOW PRESENTS: E.N.C SCREENINGS AND A VIDEO PREMIERE BY MIAO ZHAO
The video premiere of Miao Zhao‘s Wei served as a seminal moment in the realm of creative collaboration, as the Swiss sound artist joined forces with Tizia Zimmermann and Dora Krylov to produce a piece that was both aesthetically and sonically captivating. The work was part of the E.N.C screening series, curated by the Zurich-based online platform Fromheretillnow.
The programme was offered as an audio-visual mixtape, highlighting works by local and international artists that include references to DIY methods in production and aesthetics. What kind of relationships are established between new and „old“ media in contemporary artistic production? Which techniques and production methods have been rediscovered? The videos shown are intended to give information, ideas and suggestions on such questions.
Through its presentation of videos by artists such as Eric Desjeux & Madame Patate (BXL), Nika Son & Helena Wittmann (DE), Ches Smith & Frank Heath (US), Sicc Puppy (CH/US), Maoupa Mazzochetti & Laurent Allard (BXL), Billy Butheel & Alexander Iezzi & Joseph Kadow (DE), and Leevisa (KOR), the screening series attests to Fromheretillnow‘s remarkable ability to discern multiplicity within an extensive range of works, and to curate its selection with a discerning eye for discourse and diversity.
Webarchive, present day, present time, 2022 (snippet)
CATERINA DE NICOLA AND TZII LIVE
The programme kept its cadence through the introduction of the evening’s first concert, carried out by visual and sound artist Caterina De Nicola. Caterina’s piece, in its generous multiplicity, maintained a steady relation to noise, dark wave, drone, and electronics. Her use of circuit bending and DIY toolmaking turn Caterina’s performances into unique aesthetic experiences, playing on the threshold of audibility and challenging the listener into a physical event. Moreover, Caterina De Nicola has been involved in the organisation of the symposium, by building and thinking of Snye, the side-channel distribution closet installed in a corner of the room.
Eric Desjeux, also known as Tzii, is a highly accomplished independent filmmaker, composer, and sound designer. Throughout his distinguished career, he has collaborated with organizations such as CANAL+ and UNESCO, served as an assistant director and camera operator on a number of African, French, and Belgian feature films, and worked as an audiovisual scenographer at the Museum of Natural History in Paris. He has also been a featured artist in numerous international digital art and electronic music festivals, showcasing his video installations, live A/V performances, and concerts. For the JUNCTIONS: SYMPOSIA event, Tzii provided a fitting conclusion with a slow, evolving sonic flux that started with the lowest bass sounds and gradually transformed into higher-frequency harmonic complexities. As a veteran of the underground music scene in Brussels, Tzii brought not only his exceptional sound expertise but also a community of like-minded cultural innovators.
Additionally, Tzii‘s contribution to the E.N.C screenings series in the form of a music video called Les Hiboux ne sont pas ce que l’on croit further demonstrated his unique artistic vision. The music, consisting of a field recording of an electric kettle and a harmonica, created an immersive soundscape that evoked the ambiance of a rainy night with passing cars. The accompanying video clip employed minimal lo-fi techniques and minimalistic imagery to construct a strange, surreal landscape that was both captivating and bizarre.
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