(Non) Humanism & Animism: Absental Dynamics

We live under constant visual stimulation these days. But for most of us our ears are still our primary sense organ to engage with the world around us: for orientation, to detect possible threats; either create a feeling of safety, comfort and… even belonging. Aurélie Nyirabikali Lierman has always been curious about our emotional responses to sound and our tendency to – regardless of the degree of abstraction – create meaning and eventually a whole (imaginary) narrative around it.

(Non) Humanism & Animism is Lierman’s new series of sonic researches zooming in on the semiotic power of sound and also acoustics: conceived as a performative installation and an attempt to unfold various sonic perspectives as well as sonic choreographies. In her first ‘episode’ of this series – subtitled Absental Dynamics  – all is an exploration into the single perspective of how we humans perceive sound: how we hear and listen. Hence a set up that can accurately represent the human hearing apparatus: every listener receives a set of headphones to listen to binaural sound (3D audio).

Absental Dynamics is the forerunner of a performative installation in which Lierman will integrate a more inclusive view on the act of listening: reflecting on interaction and communication with humans as well as with non humans and other sentient beings (e.g. animals, plants, inanimate objects, spirits).

Title: (Non) Humanism & Animism
Subtitle: Absental Dynamics
Duration: +-35’
Year: 2019
Performers: But What About ft. Marianna Soroka
Technical Support: Ruud Kluten
Composition, Concept, Choreography & Scenography: Aurélie Nyirabikali Lierman
Form: performative installation for 4 moving musicians, binaural audio, Silent Disco headphones
Instrumentation: voice, bass clarinet, frame drum, prepared ukelele, kalimba, melodica, berimbau, double windwand bullroarer, toy instruments, foley, blue tooth speaker, digital tape, etc

Awards: CTM Radiolab Award 2019, Berlin
Premiered: Sept 7th 2018, Gaudeamus 2018, Het Huis, Utrecht
Other Tourdates: Sept 8th 2018, Gaudeamus 2018, Het Huis, Utrecht
Radio Broadcasts: Stranded FM, Sept 9th 2019, Utrecht
Commission, Funds & Support: Gaudeamus, Het Muziekhuis, Fonds Podiumkunsten

Credits:
- image 1 research on binaural sound, photo Aurélie Nyirabikali Lierman, all rights reserved
- Image 2 installation view (Non) Humanism & Animism, photo Herre Vermeer, all rights reserved