Pauline Oliveros: @ Her Noise: Feminisms and the Sonic - Tate MOdern London

Yesterday I had the pleasure (together with Nina and Bettina) to witness the opening event of Her Noise: Feminisms and the Sonic at Tate Modern London with a Performance/Tak by Pauline Oliveros.

The event was organised by Electra and CRiSAP (Creative Research into Sounds Art Practice) to celebrate the donation of the Her Noise Archive to the University of the Arts London Archives and Special Collections housed at London College of Communication, and is realised as a collaboration between CRiSAP (Creative Research into Sound Arts Practice), Electra and Tate. For further information about please visit the Archive and Special Collections Centre.

"This three-day event investigates feminist discourses in sound and music through a programme of talks, performances, discussions and film screenings. The programme brings together performances and a talk by Pauline Oliveros; an evening orbiting the legacy of Meredith Monk; and a day of talks and discussions with contributions by Ute Meta Bauer, Nina Power, Tara Rodgers and many more."

Pauline Oliveros perfoming "Listening for Life/Death Energies" on V-Accordion

Pauline started with an incredible solo "Listening ofr Life/Death Energies" with her virtual Accordion, followed by a generous lecture on "Archiving the Future: Embodiment Music of Women" were she celebrated other women composers (whom I will reference here as well) and ending by questioning : How will their work be preserved in the future?", which seems to me is highly connected with the politics not only of archiving and preserving women's knowledges and productions, but also which shapes will these archives take in the future. Maybe holographic forms, suggests Pauline.

Pauline Oliveros in conversation with Irene Revell (Electra)

The talk was followed by the concert: "To Valerie Solanas and MArilyn Monroe in Recognition of Their Desperation" from 1970, which was performend by a "specially convened emsemble of 14 (women) musicians and conducted by Claudia Molitor." (With: Rachel Aggs, Viv Corringham, Angharrad Davies, Sharon Gal, Naomi Graham, Holly Ingleton, Caroline Kraabel, Cathy Lane, Lina Lapelyte, Sartha Moore, Maggie Nicols, Greta Pistaceci, Lucy Railton, and Verity Susman)

"To Valerie Solanas and Marilyn Monroe in Recognition of Their Desperation" (1970) at Tate Modern's Turbine Hall balcony

Women composers referenced in Pauline's Talk:

Ximena Alarcón and her sounding underground; Ellen Fullman, Through Glass Panes; Brenda Hutchinson sonic portraits; Maria Chavez and her improvised spaces; Jaclyn Heyen BlueRoad: Grand Women; and Clara Tomaz; who will all, from now on, be part of All My Independent Women artists' list.

And today we are much richer :-)

To Valerie Solanas to Marilyn Monroe.