Paiva Games: Sound Dams

With inspiration from several investigations of the last 28 km of Paiva River, I’ve created a game called “Sound Dams”.

To cross / Not to cross (frontier)- with younglings on both sides of the Paiva River, they were invited to decide whether to stay on their own side or cross the river. Once the decision was made, the “Crossing” group went to collect sounds that they were familiar with, while the “Not to cross” group were set out to find sounds which they weren’t used to hearing. This means that there were four groups-since there already were two pre-existing groups on each side: “Crossing” and “Not to cross”. Finally, each side of the group that remained revealed sound files recorded with that group “that crossed”, making guesses about their sources, comparing their choices, etc…

Circulation / Current – sounds recollected from the river that went back to being transmitted through battery and solar powered radio stations FM, in the most distant location of the river, on the first day of “changing locations” as if it were a “declaration” of the game. Later on, another game of “Crossing/Not to cross” took place with the people that were further ahead.

União (“Sound Dams”) – Combining the new sound archives with the added result of the game, there was another transmission and a new game in the furthest and last area of the river. Contraring the water dams, “Sound Dams” in crease the flow towards the source, with many “crossed communications” as a result of the distinct pre-existing parts of the river and the people that live along its shores.

Based in Brooklyn, New Yorke, sound artist, social composer, and core member of SHARE o.blaat (Keiko Uenishi) is known by her works created through experimenting, reformulation and analysis of the relation of each sound insociological, cultural and/or psychological environments. The artist has performedand exhibited in several museums, clubs, galleries and festivals around the world. More recently, o.blaat presented “Soundleak: TheRoom” at Medien Kultur Haus, Wels, Áustria, as part of the series “What You Really Need” curated by MKH, financed by Linz Capital of Culture 2009.