Alternative Abject: I am in love (May, 2026) - Live art and dual sound intervention: University of Gloucestershire, UK
I found the peice quite moving. The sections where the audience breathed as one was really calming, and the birds outside joining the birdsong on the recording made me feel immersed.
-Joy-Amy Wigman
At first the performance part with the collective breathing felt a bit maybe awkward. But through the process of breathing during the performance I felt more and more relaxed and peaceful …. I felt really connected to the others in the room and to my own body. To the point that I actually felt moved. I am not a mother personally but I could also really appreciate the dialogue between mother and daughter.
- Claire Smith
This was a deeply meditative and thought-provoking piece of art that featured conversation snippets which were authentic and revealing. The pauses were particularly full of meaning and presence. It explored some profound themes around birth and family relationships, and the breathing exercises helped the audience focus, connect with the work, and be part of it. The weaving of reflection into the piece in the same tone without any kind of signalling was effective and elevated the piece.
- Anonymous
Having seen all 3 of your conference pieces I find all pieces to be transgressive in nature and ASMR, a shared intimacy. The sonic relationship and mediums seem to work in the favour of the live element, and I am glad you chose not to record people breathing as that existed for the moment. It spoke to the present.
-
This felt like order emerging from something like discord. The long pauses, punctuated by breath, we're like the white space in a poem, requiring us to pause and reflect. Breathing has that message of reflection and meditation which worked well. I felt this more bodily as a result. Emotionally it felt very positive to me - a message of hope.
-Anonymous
There was an initial reluctance to be near people breathing, perhaps driven from covid where it was almost like we shouldn't be breathing at all. Later on through the talk it almost felt familial to hear breathing in between these very familiar stories. Being told normally you only would hear that when you're comfortable enough to be close to someone, so I fount that quite interesting.
-Anonymous
From a technical aspect the recording was very well done. it was legible and intimate and the voices were clear. The content was so heartfelt and intimate, the relationship evidently close. I liked the pauses to breathe and reflect.
- Anonymous