Arts
Extract from the Artemis Projects podcast with Croatian artist Petra Mrsa recorded in April 2020. Here, Mrsa talks about her project 'The Message' which is now available here: https://soundcloud.com/user-219510566/sets/message TRANSRIPT: ”I was thinking how we usually don't hear the voices of people who record the sounds; they are the technicians behind the machine who make other people, or objects, or animals, or environments audible. I wanted us to hear the voices of these people so I invited them to record their voices in a way that is not articulated, trained, or aestheticized. It can be strange and unplanned, unexpected. I wanted to unite all of these voices through their vulnerability and through their, let's say, trust that the other person who gets their sound will make something new out of it. So, one records it and then sends it to the next person who reacts from the same uncultivated and un-aesheticised perspective. I think it's not very easy to participate because you have to record yourself in a way that cannot be evaluated as good or bad; beautiful or not. And also, you don't know what the end result will be because the next person may cut some part, add something else, and so one. But this is precisely what I was drawn to. I was drawn to this exploration that is not controlled and is based on trust and letting go, being ok with the fact that in this 'voice rally' or audio letter the next person will add something new and do something different, change it. I also wanted to do this project with people that usually record sound because they can record the sound really well so it becomes a kind of body presence. I wanted for the sound to be technically really good so you can really connect with the person through the sound. It's not just some noise where you can't depict if it is a breath or some strange voice or... I did not want for the technicality to stand in between you and the other person. I wanted it to come into your ear without the interference so you can really connect with these other bodies. And in what I got back from people, I can really feel their body presence. But of course, as with any audio work, it asks for a different kind of attention and perception. So you have to say yes to this particular kind of impulse that comes from the headphones. In order to connect to it and feel these voices, it's important that you don't look around, don't eat a sandwich or think about the things you will do in the next half an hour, but that your perception is a bit more calm and slowed down.” (Petra Mrsa, April 2020) Full interview with Petra Mrsa is available here: https://soundcloud.com/artemis-projects/podcast-petra-mrsa Info about 'The Message': https://www.artemisprojects.com.au/the-message