SOUNDARTFLUXUS? 2023

A sonic exploration of Fluxus-inspired composition techniques from June to September 2023 incorporating a Fluxus event as part of Offbeat Festival 2023 in central Oxford where an unwanted and discarded piano was deconstructed by members of the public over two days leading to a sound art installation presented as part of the Music MA Show at Oxford Brookes University on September 22nd 2023. The installation included a Text Score/Event Card inviting the audience to interact with the remains of the deconstructed piano with marbles and electronic hand fans to create space-filling drones punctuated by reverberant notes and runs and event an impromptu improvised group performance.

PIANO/WIRE – JUNE 16/17 2023 at OFFBEAT FESTIVAL OXFORD
PIANO/WIRE VIDEO
shot by matt hulse June 16/17 2023. Edited by gavin lombos
PIANO/WIRE II

A sound installation determined by the outcome of the Piano/Wire Fluxus event.

PIANO/WIRE II EXPERIMENTS
SOUNDARTFLUXUS?

A Sound Art installation 22/09/23.

Testing drones
Testing the marble drops, drones and the room acoustics.

SOUNDARTFLUXUS 2023

Impromptu audience performance.
UNEDITED MP3 RECORDINGS OF THE DRONE SOUNDS IN THE ROOM.

Listen on Soundcloud https://on.soundcloud.com/xcXVd

Audience Comments

I found the destruction of the piano in the film rather disturbing. It was like watching torture, also the glee in the vandalism. The installation is delightful though.

This piece has a real element of play to it, giving permission to destroy something and see what emerges seems quite emotional. It is like burning something old to produce something new.

Very interesting way of ‘viewing’ sound. Remarkable to see what can be done with some basic everyday materials.

Really cool to see how all the vibrations play with each other. Very playful and interesting to mess around with. 

  • Fun way to experiment and feel like you are a part of the performance.
  • Love the fact that is is unpredictable, you don’t know what will happen with each drop of the marble.
  • Makes you think of the possibilities of sound that surround us.
  • Love the music/sound/fine art interplay.

Beautiful work, interesting gritty drones form the piano frame made it a better day.

Excellent sound drifting through the corridors… discovered a forgotten piano re-employed as a drone to fly off to other realms…