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Visiting-Inviting: a dialogue of sounds

Open Space announces an Open Call for Submissions to Audiospace 2009

Deadline August 15, 2009

In its 37 years of supporting and promoting experimentation in the arts, Open Space has a tradition of discussing and exploring the practice and impact of new media and new methods of audio dissemination. We continue the adventure with the 4th edition of Audiospace, a biannual web-based audio art project that explores the Internet as a venue for sound works. Each edition is guided by the perspective of a featured artist who is commissioned to create a new work and develop a theme for the Call for Submissions. 

Previous editions of Audiospace featured commissioned composers Robert Normandeau (2003), Kenneth Newby (2005) and Chantal Dumas (2007). These Audiospace editions, including all commissioned and submitted works, can be viewed and heard at http://openspace.ca/web/audiospace.php

Audiospace 2009 features Canadian sound artist Chantale Laplante http://www.chantalelaplante.com/

Sound artists from any jurisdiction are invited to create a short web-based sound piece based on the Audiospace 2009 Theme and Submission Guidelines detailed below. Submitted works will be presented for public listening and active discussion in the Audiospace web gallery from August 20 – October 15, 2009.

At the close of this period, 3 works will be selected for an honorarium award, and will be presented through a public networked performance and discussion at Open Space with Chantale LaPlante on Friday, October 23, 2009. All submitted Audiospace 2009 works become permanent additions to Audiospace, and remain featured on openspace.ca until the next Audiospace edition. 

The selection of the prized works will be made by a jury including Chantale LaPlante and will be based on the quality of the submitted work and supporting texts, the work’s adherence to and realization of the theme, and by the comments left by public visitors to the site. 

AUDIOSPACE 2009 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS THEME

‘Visiting-Inviting: a dialogue of sounds’
by Chantale Laplante

“The most interesting aspect of collaboration is to be exposed to new ways and to be made curious to things that we would normally not have noticed. It offers the possibility of an engaging conversation where convictions can be transmuted into questions and finally new criterion.

It is in this spirit that audio artists are invited to participate in a new edition of Audiospace by making a composition developed through collaboration. Artists are asked to exchange with a collaborator a short hi fidelity audio file of a field recording*, without any comments on the source. From the file received, each artist** will aim to create a new personal sonic world by reworking and/or adding to the original source recording (through processing techniques such as fragmenting, rearranging, layering, modulating, etc.) as the submitted work to Audiospace.

The final audio work submitted by each artist should be a single piece between 4’00” and 4’30” (no less – no more).
The artists are also asked to keep a short diary that describes
(1) the first reaction to the first listening of the audio file received
(2) with further listening, the unfolding of a specific sensation mingled with the received audio file
(3) the challenges the recording might bring: can this recording push you into new musical territories? Could it suggest a change in the way you usually work?
(4) anything else that the working process brings to light.

A successful audio work would be one that presents a dynamic mixture of raw material and transformed sounds and an original approach to dealing with field recording. This call for work lays in engaging in a dialogue through the sounds, allowing oneself to be surprised, to act as a ‘sponge’ in response to the audio file received, the equivalent of an invitation or statement of interest from your collaborator. Finally, the diary entries encourage a reflection on the process of composing music and how through collaboration we can experience new ways of apprehending our artistic work.

Looking forward to meet your sounds and music.”
--Chantale Laplante

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* Field recording: produced outside of a recording studio, using raw sound material, and not a planned sound event; found sound.
**Each collaborating artist will make a single individual submission to Audiospace. A single artist can submit work based on audio file exchange with a collaborator who is not submitting a work to the project. In this case, the identity and verifiable contact information of the collaborator should be included in the artist's submission.

AUDIOSPACE 2009 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submissions should be sent in one email to the email address
<audiospace.openspace@gmail.com> with the subject heading “Audiospace09” followed by the artist first name and surname initial (“Audiospace09JaneD”) on or before midnight August 15, 2009 your local time.

The submission email should contain:

1. Link to your Audio work:
Audio files are to be submitted as 16-bit .wav or .aiff files with a minimum run time of 4’00’ and a maximum run time of 4’30”.  Maximum file size: 50MB. MP3’s or other compressed files will not be accepted. Attached audio files will not be accepted. (see Options below)

2. 1 Text file (MS Word .doc or Rich Text Format .rtf or PDF .pdf) including
--250 word bio (including url to your to artist personal website)
--200 – 700 word statement about the audio work and project (summary of diary entries, working process, description of techniques, etc.)
--identity of and contact information for the collaborator

Options for sharing audio files through the Internet:

--Provide a link to the URL of the audio file on your personal webspace; or
--Use a file transfer service.

Examples of file transfer sites include:
-Send Space <http://www.sendspace.com> 
-Transfer Big Files <http://www.transferbigfiles.com>
-Sound Cloud <http://soundcloud.com/>
-Cast a File <http://www.castafile.com>
-Sendshack <http://sendshack.com/>

Submitting artists are invited to maintain a virtual presence on the Audiospace site for the active phase of the project August 20 – October 20 2009. The site will provide access through forums and discussions including Chantale Laplante, other participants and site visitors, and will suggest discussion themes based on the call, the working process, and the work submitted.
 
For questions about Audiospace, please direct emails with “Audiospace question” in the subject heading to: <audiospace.openspace@gmail.com>.