Unchorus

Sound and light installation, 13 min
Production Art Contemporary Museum of Lyon – macLyon, 2019

The sound installation Unchorus is based on the notions of chorus and revolution in keeping with current socio-political issues. Violaine Lochu asked a dozen people of European origin to give her a revolutionary song in their mother tongue. The spatial arrangement of the twelve voices of Unchorus explores the notions of plurality and singularity inherent in a choir. At various moments in the sound work, one voice or another stands out, in its own time and key, from the collective sound. Sometimes the voices come together in a kind of stammering choir. Since most of them are revolutionary, Unchorus also seeks to bring out the historical, musical and semantic layers of the songs. In the middle of the installation, there is a bare bulb emitting a light that varies from near darkness to blinding strobe effects, reflecting the sudden violence of a rebellion coming up against harsh reality. The spectator is left feeling ill at ease and has difficulty moving around in the space, not knowing whether or not they are invited to sit around the bulb and risk being blinded by its light. the voices come together in a kind of stammering choir. Since most of them are revolutionary, Unchorus also seeks to bring out the historical, musical and semantic layers of the songs. In the middle of the installation, there is a bare bulb emitting a light that varies from near darkness to blinding strobe effects, reflecting the sudden violence of a rebellion coming up against harsh reality. The spectator is left feeling ill at ease and has difficulty moving around in the space, not knowing whether or not they are invited to sit around the bulb and risk being blinded by its light.

Voices Joan Ayrton (England), Sara Bichão (Portugal), Gheorghe Ciumasu (Moldavia), Gabriela Emanovská (Czech Republic), Linus Gratte (Sweden), Elie Guillou (France), Akvilė Grigoravičiūtė (Lithuania), Marcus Heim (Germany), Roberto Limentani (Italy), Marguerite Pilven (Spain), Yochk’o Seffer (Hungary), Marcin Swierkosz (Poland), Hannelore van Dijck (Belgium)

Technique Baptiste Joxe
Image Paul Bourdoncle

Thanks to Marion Beganni, Juliette Dessagne and Anna Wegenschimmel