St John’s College is pleased to welcome our Sound Artist in Residence for Michaelmas Term 2018, Signe Lidén.

Signe Lidén Giuliano MozzilloBased in Bergen and Amsterdam, Signe is an artist of international repute whose installations and performances examine how places and their histories resonate: in memory, through narratives and various materials, as ideological manifestations and as political territories. Her work spans from sound installations, sculpture, video and performance to documentary forms such as sound essays and archives.

Her marvellous new installation "Field Modulations" (created expressly for the St John's College Barn) will open for members of the public this week during the following times:

  • Tuesday, 9 October: 12pm-2pm
  • Wednesday, 10 October: 3pm-5pm
  • Thursday, 11 October: 12pm-3pm
  • Saturday, 13 October: 1pm-3pm

We have also invited Barbara London, formerly of MOMA in New York to give a lecture on Wednesday, 10 October in the College Barn at 5pm which is open to members of the College. Signe will also be giving a talk to College members about her artistic practice on Friday, 12 October in the College Barn at 5pm.

Signe is particularly interested in collaborating with members of the St John's community (from first-year undergrads to DPhil students, from fellows to staff). Her work is highly interdisciplinary, and her goal this term is to work with students, faculty and staff from across a range of disciplines.

Further info can be found at: http://signeliden.com

Field Modulations, Signe Lidén (2018)

An acoustic canvas spans the gallery space. A piece of iron ore, turned into a speaker coil, is sounding from beneath. Resonances from the stone echo in the fabric, accompanied by the sounds of field recordings taken from the Arctic mine areas on both sides of the Norwegian-Russian border.

The exhibition is the starting point of Lidén´s research at St. John's College. In her work, instruments that record, resonate or filter an environment are often developed in dialogue with the particular site of research. During her residency, she will investigate how a textile can function as a microphone membrane, as a loudspeaker, as well as a sound absorber in outdoor environments. By bringing the acoustic canvas outdoors, she aims to mingle the acts of recording and performing. Together with students, faculty and staff, she will explore how a large-scale acoustic canvas can incorporate gestures of sensing, tuning, and negotiating that  render seamless the transitions between the instrument, environment and perception.