Co.Lab Sound: Now that the audience is assembled

David Grubbs ‘Now that the audience is assembled’ use of long form poetry links the experiences of the performer and audience to visualise the act of improvisation, instrument building and collaborative making in a rhythmic page-turner.

It captures each participant and encompasses everything repulsive and engaging about live performance.

As I was reading Grubbs ‘Now that the audience is assembled’ I couldn’t help but feel how much it captured the spirit of what I’m hoping to achieve with Co.Lab Sound. You can feel the tension, relief, engagement and confusion of the performance he is describing in each page. The musicians inner dialogue of how the work is unfolding and the audience jumping to alter the pace or direction the experience caused a glimmer in my eye while reading.

By using this space to allow artists to collaborate and make new work live, I hope that as a collective we’re able to plug into the fun and unexpected nature of working together, with friends or with strangers. While the lead up to this exhibition is a wealth of research time for me as a curator, I’m endlessly inspired by all the applications that have been submitted this far. I often find myself wondering if certain artists will pair up naturally due to their practices or if unexpected combinations might occur that I wouldn’t have even considered. I’m hopeful that this exhibition period will be fruitful and exciting for the selected artists and myself.

David Grubbs ‘Now that the audience is assembled’ will be available to read in studio during the exhibition period of Co.Lab Sound. Make sure to join our cacophony come May 22nd!