2017

December 7-9, 2017 | echoraum

2017 marks the centennial celebration of Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain — a welcome occasion for the twelfth edition of shut up and listen! to focus on current artistic approaches towards the phenomenon “ready-made”. Thinking about ready-made in a sound-related context suggests a focus on the listening process itself, thus field recordings and other “concrete” hearing perspectives come to mind instantaneously. At the same time, object-oriented aspects of auditory perception, audio-sculptural manifestations or sound qualities of everyday objects, are in the center of attention.

In Regal Pleasures (off-the-shelf), a standard metal shelving rack turns into a sound work while being constructed. The German sound artist Erwin Stache transforms everyday objects into musical instruments. Additionally he presents a selection of his highly imaginative sound objects in an exhibition which may be explored throughout the festival. The especially reinvigorated Phonographie-Ensemble features Angélica Castelló, Martina Claussen, Barbara Kaiser und Billy Roisz, improvising on the basis of untreated field recordings. The second festival evening takes off with the sound universe of filter coffee machines in a performance by Ernst Reitermaier, representing the institut für transakustische forschung. Peter Ablinger condenses all exisiting symphonies of selected composers into 40-seconds long listening experiences, while not leaving away a single note. In his work Renate Fuczik, “historic” voice recordings of the Austrian telephone speaking clock are combined in real-time with piano sounds, while with In G Ablinger juxtaposes the “sound object” cello with subtle environmental sounds. Oliver Stotz realises a site-specific version of Steve Reich‘s Pendulum Music, for four microphones and four amplifiers. The traditional listening room features an hour-long excerpt of Leif Inges 9 Beet Stretch, a 24-hours long sound augmentation of Beethoven’s Ninth. Permanent festival contributions include Peter Ablinger‘s Hinweisstücke, a series of conceptual pieces pointing towards specific listening strategies. With Duchamp-Memorial Wall, Bernhard Gál comments on the ready-mades Bicycle Wheel, Bottle Rack and Fountain. Visual artist Petra Sandner reflects in Die Aura der Braut Duchamp’s work The Large Glass and, last but not least, the Viennese ”street poet” Helmut Seethaler is invited to occupy echoraum’s staircase with his ”note poems”.