For more than one voice
A collaborative exhibition conceived by Elana Mann
September 23 - October 21, 2011
Listen
Sing-a-long
Or contribute
323 Projects is pleased to present For more than one voice, a collaborative exhibit conceived by Elana Mann.
In her art practice Elana Mann explores the call and response structure of communication through systems of performance and exchange. She investigates the roles of listener and speaker in various ways and recently has begun to focus on the voice in song. This exhibition takes its cue from Adriana Cavarero, a philosopher who argues for the “politics of the voice,” valuing the resonant vibrations of a unique speaker (or singer) beyond the mere semantic content.
"The impalpability of sonorous vibrations, which is as colorless as the air, comes out of a wet mouth and arises from the red of the flesh...the voice is the equivalent of what the unique person has that is most hidden and most genuine" -Adriana Cavarero,
For this exhibition, Mann called out to members of her community for songs of resistance and freedom. By the opening of the exhibit she had collected over fourteen songs and will continue to gather recordings throughout the run of the show. The songs are both original works and interpretations of classic melodies, ranging from a Korean protest song from the 1980’s, to a Suffragist song form the early 1900’s, to a newly penned work about sailors and pirates off the coast of Somalia. All of the lyrics to the songs will be available on-line. As Cavarero writes, the notes of these tunes emerge from “wet mouth(s)” and the “red of flesh” of unique social and political bodies, each striving to be heard. The in-progress list of contributors include: Audrey Chan, Barbara Cohen, Bia Goyato, Dorit Cypis, Evelyn Serrano, Lena Hwang, Lora Ivanova, Melissa Kaplan, Miggie Wong, Niko Solorio, Paula Cronan and Thorbjorg Jonsdottir.
Callers to the telephone line are invited to listen, sing-a-long, or contribute their own songs of resistance and freedom. These songs will then be added to the playlist.
Playlist
Anonymous sings “Saare Jahan Se Achcha”, an Urdu folk song
Audrey Chan sings "I wish I knew how it would feel to be free" by Nina Simone
Barbara Cohen sings "This Land is Your Land," by Woody Guthrie
Bia Goyato sings "Pra Não Dizer Que Não Falei Das Flores" Geraldo Vandré, with Elana Mann
Dorit Cypis sings “Broken English” by Marianna Faithful
Elana Mann records “Die Gedanken Sind Frei (Our Thoughts are free),” a German folk song, sung in German by Juliana Snapper, in English by Lora Ivanova and in Arabic by Joseph Talent
Evelyn Serrano sings the Cuban National Anthem
Lena Hwang sings “Morning Dew,” a Korean Protest Song
Lora Ivanova sings “Hubava si, moya goro” a Bulgarian folk song
Melissa Kaplan sings “Kill the Poor” by the Dead Kennedys
Miggie Wong records “Dai Dei” by Beyond, sung by Exra Wong
Niko Solorio sings “Waterfalls” by TLC
Paula Cronan records “Maersk Alabama” by Paula Cronan, sung by Sean Griffin, Keith Cooper, Bethany Poehls, Juliana Snapper, Elana Mann, Paula Cronan and Robby Stambler on Banjo
Elana Mann records “Three Blind Mice” a Suffragist folk song, sung by Kelly Kleinschrodt, Louisa Van Leer, Jemima Wyman and Elana Mann
Soraya Fallah sings Le Jer Zngre, Paeez, Ye Shabe Mahtab
Thorbjorg Jonsdottir sings an Icelandic Folk song
LYRICS
Die Gedanken Sind Frei (Our Thoughts Are Free)
Die Gedanken sind frei
My thoughts freely flower,
Die Gedanken sind frei
My thoughts give me power.
No scholar can map them,
No hunter can trap them,
No one can deny:
Die Gedanken sind frei!
I think as I please
And this gives me pleasure,
My conscience decrees,
This right I must treasure;
My thoughts will not cater
To duke or dictator,
No one can deny--
Die Gedanken sind frei!
And if tyrants take me
And throw me in prison
My thoughts will burst free,
Like blossoms in season.
Foundations will crumble,
The structure will tumble,
Free people will cry:
Die Gedanken sind frei!
Neither trouble or pain Will ever touch me again. No good comes of fretting., My hope's in forgetting. Within myself still I can think as I will, But I laugh, do not cry: Die Gedanken sind frei! And freely we cry, Die Gedanken Sind Frei
