Marches
Installation, objects, digital print, documentation, 2005
At the centre of the “Marches” project is a series of performances that take place on the streets of towns and cities. These performances are choreographed marches in which a small group of 10 performers march planned routes through urban districts. These routes are primarily designed to include the most interesting acoustic/architectural dimensions of the town, connecting large halls, domed ceilings, glass walls, narrow corridors, piazzas, crowded spaces etc. The only costume the performers of “Marches” wear are specific shoes adapted for greater sonic effect. Participants of the performances are choreographed to join and disperse at points of distinctive acoustic interest. Pathways are planned according to the most acoustically exciting way of navigating all the domed roofs, narrow corridors and reflective glass walls offered by the surrounding urban territory. Planning also involves sociological research and historiography; digging into the city’s history to find stories and accounts of parades, processions, marches, trudges and demonstrations. The resulting routes, illustrated in the maps/scores made, were harvested and mapped onto the current city form, intersecting new buildings and extinct pathways to create new navigations of the city.
Artist's Bio:
Abu Hamdan (1985) lives in Beirut, Lebanon. Artist’s work frequently deals with the relationship between listening and politics, borders, human rights, testimony and truth through the production of documentaries, essays, audio-visual installations, video works, graphic design, sculpture, photography, workshops and performance. The artist’s video The All Hearing 2014 was selected for the 44th International film festival Rotterdam. In 2014 his works became part of collections at MoMA New York, Van Abbe Museum Eindhoven and Barjeel Art Foundation, UAE.