Audio Control Turn on Yuval's sonic flow

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Recreate an inner wind that will blow The branches and leave
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Audio Control Turn on Yuval's sonic flow
Audio Control

Installation

2017 – Three Grades of Foreignness, La Fabbrica del Cioccolato Art Foundation, Switzerland – solo exhibition
2019 – OSTRALE, Biennale OSTRALE, Dresden, Germany
2022 – Persona, Palazzo Marchi, Parma, Italy – solo exhibition

Inside Lands, one can feel immersed in nature with the chirping of birds, insects and the wind filling the air. The birdsongs are gradually replaced by mechanical sounds; the word ‘Lands’ begins to echo in many languages through the computer voice; and so we move from nature to the artificial, in a reflection on the relationship between human beings and the nature they inhabit. At the same time, the artificial projects its strange hybrid beauty, allowing a constructed nature to become a sound sculpture in its own right. Lands plays with nature, man and the artificial.

The local farmland is the centre of the relationship between man and land; on the one hand it shows and conveys the inevitability of our rootedness in nature, on the other hand it invites us to reflect on man’s attempts to shape and dominate nature. The land is inhabited by loudspeakers that reproduce a complex polyphony of natural sounds, machines and human voices, creating numerous musical episodes that become a fresco of allegorical sound scenes around the listener. As a marker of time and structure, the word ‘LAND’ continues to materialise in different languages, recited with the robotic voice of Google TranslateTM.

The different meanings the term takes on draw a linguistic map that continues to be redrawn according to the ties that unite nations and citizens, people and land. In this installation, the equation carries with it the emblem of man’s relationship with nature. The public, moving through the space, creates individual paths of listening and perception. By finding themselves inside the work and thus participating in the sound performance of Lands, visitors move from a de-naturalised place to a Virgilian bucolic scene.

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Massive Sonic Works:

/ˈmæsɪv ˈsɒnɪk wɜːrks/

Large-scale performances using collective participation to create powerful sound masses.

Yuval Avital’s “Massive Sonic Works” or “Opera di Massa Sonora” involves the creation of large-scale performances that utilize collective participation to craft a unique sound experience. These works focus on forming powerful sound masses through the collaboration of numerous performers, exploring new possibilities through sound rituals. The compositions often include graphic visual elements, written music, and easy-to-read instructions to allow interpretation by individuals without prior musical experience. This approach, sometimes involving hundreds of participants, aims to create what can be described as “crowd music.”

Some key works in Avital’s repertoire include:

– GARON (2012): An opera for 45 bass tubas do, percussions, and a crowd of performers.

– KARAGATAN (2013): A composition for 100 gongs and bamboo in the Philippines.

– REKA (2014): Commissioned by the Warsaw Autumn Festival and co-produced by the MiTo festival in Milan, involving traditional singers from unique cultures such as Tibetan, Zulu, Sardinian, Mongolian, and Samarkand traditions.

One of Avital’s significant compositions is MISE EN ABÎME, a milestone work that marks the beginning of his “Massive Sonic Works” series. Premiered in 2011, this composition involves a large ensemble of 100-200 non-musician vocalists, accordions, bass tubas, soprano, bass clarinet, percussions, didgeridoo, and conductors directing the performance in an immersive setup.

Another notable work is URLA, an immersive sonic experience with over 300 performers, showcasing diverse musical traditions in Matera, Italy. This piece combines traditional elements with modern instrumentation, theatrical actions, and innovative technological approaches, reflecting Yuval Avital’s interdisciplinary and transcultural artistic vision.

Yuval Avital’s creations blend complexity, cultural diversity, and technological innovation to create immersive and participatory sonic experiences that push the boundaries of traditional music composition and performance.