SONICWORKS to Open 1/10 at Houston's DiverseWorks

DiverseWorks, Houston's multidisciplinary arts space, presents SonicWorks, on view January 11 - March 1, 2014, with an opening reception on Friday,January 10, 7 - 9 pm.

SonicWorks is a multi-platform exhibition that explores the medium and material of sound. Featuring national and international contemporary artists who utilize a variety of materials from the conventional to the absurd, SonicWorks includes discrete sound works, sculptural intervention and multi-media installations, as well as live performances by a variety of contemporary artists and musicians. The exhibition has two distinct parts: one portion of the exhibition is devoted to presenting sound installations and interactive pieces, along with ephemera from DiverseWorks' archives related to previous explorations of sound as art; the second is devoted to weekly live performances as part of the DiverseWorks on Wednesdays series. Ephemera and other documentation from each performance will remain on view, creating an accumulative exhibition that encourages repeat visitors.

Artists included in SonicWorks are The Art Guys (Houston), Anthea Behm and Lisa Harris (Australia/Houston), Bonnie Barnett (Los Angeles), Melissa Dubbin & Aaron S. Davidson (New York City/Paris), David Dove (Houston), Christine Kim (New York City), Chris Kubick & Anne Walsh (San Francisco Bay Area), Ladyband featuring Regina Agu and Sandy Ewen (Houston), Rebecca Novak (Houston), Pauline Oliveros (New York), Ronny Quevedo (New York/Houston) & Autumn Knight (Houston), Marina Rosenfeld (Los Angeles/New York City), Damon Smith (Houston), Sergei Tcherepnin (Rome/New York City), and Mark Tribe (New York City), among others.

In addition to presenting current sound works by the artists listed above, this exhibition also considers how DiverseWorks, an early and activecommissioner of sonic ideas, has influenced the creation and reception of experimental sound in Houston and the region. In 1986 Houston hosted New Music America, presented by The Houston Festival Foundation, Inc. and DiverseWorks was theOfficial Festival Headquarters. The festival marked a significant historic event for Houston and DiverseWorks, as many notable artists including John Cage, Stelarc, and Sonic Youth presented works in traditional concert halls and performance venues as well on the streets, on commercial flights into Houston, and at the Astrodome.

For SonicWorks, DiverseWorks will present archival ephemra and recordings from the festival, and restage a number of performances, including Bonnie Barnett's Under Houston Humming, a live participatory vocal event in Houston's underground pedestrian tunnel system. DiverseWorks is partnering with Rice University to stage an additional Hum event in James Turrell's Twilight Epiphany skyspace on campus. Barnett has presented Hum performances for a number of years and in various locations across the country, including the Fort Mason center in San Francisco, MacArther Park in Los Angeles, and on a flight from San Francisco to Houston.

On Saturday, February 15, musician and Nameless Sound founder and director David Dove, and a number of collaborators will present a day-long concert in DiverseWorks' gallery featuring the works of Pauline Oliveros, accordionist, composer, experimental sound pioneer, founder of New Music America, and Houston native. Pieces will be performed without pauses or intermissions and audience members are encouraged to come and go freely throughout the day. Performerswill include: Paula Anne Anicete, Abel Cisneros, Denis Cisneros, Chris Cogburn, David Dove, Sandy Ewen, David Feil, Sonia Flores, Lucas Gorham, Lisa Harris, Jason Jackson, Rebecca Novak, Ivette Roman-Roberto, Alauna Rubin, Damon Smith, Kurt Stallmann, Jawwaad Taylor, Hsin-Jung Tsai, and Ronnie Yates. This event celebrates Pauline Oliveros' important role in the founding and mentoring of Nameless Sound, as well as her connections to DiverseWorks' history as an important presenter and champion of sonic art in Houston.