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mezz #07
Coined by critics as a sound alchemist, Mikhail Karikis uses his voice as sculptural material. Pulling sounds from his gut, from growl to yelp to a pure high tone, he explores the voice and its relationship to his body. His performances are also visually lush and eccentric. Having recently performed at Tate Britain and coming to Mezz prior to the Whitstable Biennale, Mikhail’s work spans the visual art and music worlds: recent collaborators have included pop-musicians (Björk, DJ Spooky), classical choirs (Hilliard Ensemble, Cantamus) and visual artists (Sonia Boyce and Uriel Orlow). Mikhail is currently working on an experimental opera (www.mikhailkarikis.blogspot.com) that incorporates the sounds of pulsars (dying stars that emit radio waves). The opera begins with the poetic gesture of singing a duet with the stars – an allusion to a yearning and search for existence beyond earth. For Mezz #07 Mikhail will perform elements of the opera throughout SVA artists studios, followed by a talk in the project space about his exciting work.
Mezzanine (www.mezz.info) is a series of artists’ talks, screenings and performances organised by Louisa Fairclough and Simon Ryder. Each artist shows a number of works or a single installation followed by a talk with a distinct focus: in Mezz#03 David Cotterrell discussed what it meant to him to take on the role of War Artist and Nick Laessing (Mezz #04) described how his research into the Free Energy Movement informs his practice. Mezzanine is an artists-led project. Our aim is to share our enthusiasm for screen-based and performance art within an informal environment of experimentation and dialogue, which is away from urban centres of art production and consumption. Mezzanine is hosted by Stroud Valleys Artspace. |
