LAB
PHONÈMA
events series
“PHONÈMA” is a cultural and social project born from the urgency to recreate, in the city of Rome, a place and, hopefully, a reality of artistic sharing and exchange around the numerous themes that orbit the universe of contemporary sound art, with a particular focus on the practices of production, research, and experimentation typical of technological art.
PHONÈMA involves artists who find in the approach and use of technologies not only their means of creation and expression but, above all, their aesthetic and practice, in a bidirectional perspective of utilization and inspiration typical of countless artistic figures of the last hundred years at least.
A first series of three meetings in the months of October (10), November (14), and December (19), within the cinema hall of the c.s.a. Brancaleone, will respectively host Simone Pappalardo, Franz Rosati, and Ivan Macera.
The artists will first open up to the public with a talk revolving around their approaches and relationships with technology within the aesthetic and creative processes of their artistic practice. This will be followed by a dinner in the foyer with music selections curated by DIACRONIE, and the evening will conclude with a performance by the invited artist.
PHONÈMA I w/ Simone Pappalardo
VERTIGINE DELLA DISTANZA
10-10-2024
"Sound, and in particular timbre, is what most significantly shapes our experience of the world and the formation of our memories. Although it is difficult to categorize precisely, this complexity opens up space for both personal and social exploration. The event proposes a journey into timbre and the practices for creating and modifying it, encouraging a critical reflection on the use of technologies in composition and listening. Starting from the experience of the performance 'Vertigine della distanza', new forms of timbral consciousness will be explored, free from the conventions of 'high fidelity'."
Vertigine della Distanza explores the phenomenon of mirage through long shots in marine environments, capturing bodies distorted by refraction. The live sound, created with self-built instruments and non-linear algorithms, reflects the visual uncertainty, using imperfection and low fidelity as key elements.
Video by Salvatore Insana.
Simone Pappalardo
Composer, performer, and artist active in the fields of improvisation, new lutherie, sound art, and electroacoustic composition.
His works have been presented at several international festivals, including Philharmonie Luxembourg, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Musicacoustica (Beijing), MACRO Museum in Rome, Buenos Aires Globe Theater, MAMbo Museum in Bologna, Les Amplitudes (La Chaux-de-Fonds), Ars Electronica in Linz.
He has also collaborated with artists such as Mauro Lanza, Andrea Valle, Ensemble Alter Ego, Giancarlo Schiaffini, Mederic Collignon, Jean Francois Laporte, Alvin Curran, John De Leo, Walter Prati, Ra Di Martino, Mario Bertoncini, GIPI, Ascanio Celestini, Valerio Magrelli, and many others.
He teaches electronic music and music informatics at Italian conservatories and Sound Design at the Rome University of Fine Arts.
PHONÈMA II w/ Franz Rosati
DATALAKE:ZERO:AV
14-11-2024
"Artificial and digital intelligences are ideal tools for representing a complex reality made of simultaneous truths. During the talk, workflows from projects like Datalake, Distaintia, Latentscape, and Machine & Structure will be explored, stemming from research that describes the collapse of reality and non-existent landscapes. The discussion will focus on how digital and generative technologies enable the creation of narratives influenced by the excess of information and visual and auditory stimuli, which can evolve into audiovisual concerts, installations, or other innovative artistic forms."
"DATALAKE:ZERO:AV is an audiovisual concert that combines transforming sounds and AI-generated images to evoke the struggle between nature and technology. Automobiles, architecture, and natural disasters merge into a living organism, creating a flow of natural and mechanical forms. The images float, immersed in an uncertain and dangerous perceptual environment. Reality transforms into a stream of shifting visual universes and timelines, with alternative perspectives invading the viewer. Everything disassembles and reassembles, offering a complex observation of what is real, possible, and impossible."
Franz Rosati
He develops his artistic production through custom digital technologies, software, and programming environments for sound generation, AI, moving images, and 3D environments. All works are designed to embody different forms, ranging from audiovisual concerts where the narrative structure prevails and sound amplifies the cinematic dimension, to prints and video installations in public spaces and galleries where the contemplative nature emerges. Projects such as Distantia, Sorvoli, Latentscape, Map of Null, and Machine & Structure have been presented at major international festivals and venues such as ACT Asian Culture Center, Sonar Barcelona, Videocittà, Les Bains Numérique, ADAF, Ohm Berlin, RomaEuropa Festival, and are featured on leading digital art platforms such as Sedition, Artpoint, NIIO, ReasonedArt, and FRM. He is also involved as a lecturer in Multimedia at the Vivaldi Conservatory of Alessandria, Sound and Media Design at IED European Institute of Design in Rome, and has previously taught at UNIRSM and other institutions, schools, and universities.
PHONÈMA III w/ Ivan Macera
NEON CHRONOS
19-12-2024
“The talk explores my aesthetic idea of recycling and the performative approach to sound. The reclaimed objects connect the external context to the artistic process, highlighting the sonic and visual potential of everyday discarded materials. My interest in old technological devices stems from the mechanical and timbral possibilities they offer. Dismantling these objects allows for a meticulous recovery of components such as bolts, cables, and electric motors, which are reorganized and reassembled to create new visual and musical meanings, reflecting a clear artistic purpose”.
"Neon Chronos is an electroacoustic live performance that explores time and the possibilities of noise. It utilizes modified hard drives to generate sonic errors, neon lights, floppy drivers, walkmans, electric motors, and an augmented bass. All the devices produce sound through rotation, creating a circular timbral flow that invites stillness and reflection, opening up new sonic dimensions."
Ivan Macera
Sound artist, percussionist, and educator, his research is grounded in experimentation and improvisation. Currently, he focuses on designing electroacoustic and electromechanical sound devices, self-built instruments crafted from discarded materials, which he uses in performances, installations, and education. Since 2016, he has been exploring the sound of stone with the project “Diagenesi,” showcased at national and international events. He has participated in festivals and exhibitions such as Danae Festival, Inequilibrio Festival, Teatro Akropolis, Teatri di Vetro, Sharjah Art Foundation, CADAF, Music&MilesV Tour USA, Atina Jazz Festival, and Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome.