Ray Lee is giving a talk at the Spark Festival Tomorrow, Friday February 19, 2009 at 12pm at the U of M’s Hanson Hall.
Ray Lee’s work investigates his fascination with the hidden world of electromagnetic radiation and in particular how sound can be used as evidence of invisible phenomena. He is interested in the way that science and philosophy represent the universe and his work questions the orthodoxies that emerge and submerge according to the currently fashionable trends.
The Talk will be at:
University of Minnesota
Carlson School of Management
Hanson Hall ( on Riverside and 20th Ave S. )
Room 1-106
“I could have sat for hours hypnotized by the final crystal chord of the spinning oscillators” – Live Art Magazine
‘Siren’ is a whirling, spinning spectacle of mechanical movement, electronic sound and light. Twenty-nine large metal tripods, up to 3m tall, have rotating arms that spin around, powered by electric motors. Hand built electronic tone generators power loudspeakers at the end of each arm creating an extraordinary sonic texture of pulsing electronic drones. Small LED’s at the end of the arms trace circles of light as the arms rapidly rotate creating a compelling visual image.
The audience, kept at a safe distance from the whirling arms by a safety barrier, are able to move freely about the space and experience different sonic and visual perspectives of the work. Meanwhile the performers move about within the mass of swirling metal machinery, operating their machines and tuning oscillators to change the musical composition while dodging and ducking the rapid movement of the rotating arms.
Siren will be at Walker Art Center this week only:
Performance Information
Date: Friday February 20, 7:00 pm, 9:00 pm and
Saturday February 21, 2:00 pm, 7:00 pm, 9:00 pm
Place: McGuire Theater
Price: $15 ($12 Walker members)
Click here for more.
Wow. I am so glad I was able to catch this. This was easily one of the most impressive sound installations/performances I will ever see. At its core it is incredibly simple, almost primitive, yet it builds to be this incredibly complex and varied experience. The basic tones build and swirl around the room creating a completely unique experience in every spot at every moment. Even when it doesn’t seem to be fluctuating, what you hear can radically change with a simple turn of the head or a few small paces. The piece builds into this incredible, meditative drone, but even then, depending on where you are standing, these beautiful melodic moments present themselves when you least expect it. What a fantastic experience. I want to sleep in the Siren installation.
Comment by Joe Beres — February 19, 2009 @ 8:12 pm
Magic.
Comment by Courtney Gerber — February 20, 2009 @ 10:40 am