sTo Len, photo by Walter Wlodarczyk
sTo Len creates sound- and movement-based performance work that amplifies the unheard sounds of objects through touch, movement, and ritual.
The Light Medium Tactical Vehicle (LMTV) that is the 19,000 pound centerpiece in Mary Mattingly's exhibition, What Happens After, has been deconstructed and reimagined into various sculptural pieces throughout the space. As part of the team of re-designers, sTo Len was able to interact with the truck when it was in its initial stages of transformation and now he will return to the vehicle in a sound performance that acknowledges what happened before in order to bring it full circle into its' present state in a gallery setting. sTo Len’s process-based sound performances investigate the potential sonic life of everyday objects by literally amplifying the voice of the unconsidered and inanimate with touch, sound and movement. The title "Radio Soul," refers to the continued importance of radio as the most popular form of media in Afghanistan, which has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world and where TVs are forbidden by many fundamentalists. It also references the use of radio during wartime by both the Taliban and the US, as well as an anti-Taliban Afghan pirate radio station called Radio Sol, who broadcast information about women’s issues. Len will use personalized techniques that pay homage to the pirate VHF radio-relay communication networks that are still being used there. With contact microphones, radio transmitters, wireless technology and solar panels hooked up to the truck itself, sTo Len will create a soundscape that triggers the memories of war while repurposing the vehicle it into an instrument for sounds. If the LMTV could sing us a song, what would it sound like?
This performance takes place in conjunction with the What Happens After exhibition, and proceeds the Decolonizing the Land, Decolonizing the Mind program (7-9PM) - please join us for both events!
Venue Information:
The Stoop at BRIC House is a public cultural gathering space featuring free, drop-in programming, and offering a place to sit, observe, and participate in multi-disciplinary work.
Beginning Nov. 1, 2022, attendees of any BRIC House programming will no longer have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter the building. Masks are encouraged but not required in all BRIC operated spaces. If you have questions regarding this protocol, please email Safety@bricartsmedia.org