Audio Control Turn on Yuval's sonic flow

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Audio Control Turn on Yuval's sonic flow
Audio Control

Solo exhibition

curated by Cristiano Leone
Baths of Caracalla, Rome, Italy – February 25 – April 23, 2023

2000 square meters exhibition presenting the second chapter of Lessico Animale, a cross-media art opus investigating the relationship between man and animal through the mediums of performance, video art, photography, sound sculptures and sound. Opening with two days of live performances in the spaces of the Mithreum, Lessico Animale. Mysterion ties in with the symbolism of the Mithra cult.

“Yuval Avital is an investigator, an explorer of ritual: he researches it, practices it,
performs it. And in engaging with it, he studies, documents, and transforms it. For Avital, the archeology of the past is at the same time a prospect for future existence. A ruin is an indicator of a time that never ended, and as such a milestone, a reminder and a pathway toward a future of free and shared spirituality.
Yuval’s work is, therefore, a mise en abyme of the performance within the performance. The visitor/spectator, like the performers, is invited to experience this exhibition as an opportunity to travel into one’s own unconscious through symbols, understood as living and timeless presences. After all, even though symbols may arrive from afar, they find fertile ground in us to take root, act and cause us to react – since, in a certain sense, they exist already within us.”
Excerpt from the exhibition curatorial text by Cristiano Leone, curator

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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.