Trainofthoughts

Saturday 12th May: 10am-6pm

Sunday 13th May: 10am-5pm

Stace Constantinou & Mocksim (Micheál O’Connell)

This one-weekend exhibition brings together the talents of composer Stace Constantinou and autonomous artist Mocksim (Micheál O’Connell). Constantinou’s multi-layered narrative music Trainofthoughts is a sound journey into London Underground and beyond. Mocksim juxtaposes this sonic intermingling utilising photographic raw materials from another aspect of modern life, being stuck in a traffic jam, to create his looping film Boring.

Stace Constantinou

As a composer and music technologist Constantinou composes for both acoustic instruments and electroacoustic forces, often combining the two in one piece whilst drawing inspiration from classical forms such as string quartet, song-cycle, chamber and solo works. His varied methodologies are directed towards progressing the complexity and nuance of harmony, rhythm and sonorous boundaries, often with hints of eclectic energies, ghosts of the past future portents.

Winner of the Ricordi and Schillinger composition prizes his pieces have been performed around the world in festivals, concerts, on national BBC radio 3 & 4, including at the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC). His music been played by the performers: Kate Ryder, Jane Manning, Rhodri Davies, The Fidelio Trio, Nikos Veliotis, as well as workshop performances by Ensemble Expose, The Delta Sax Quartet and The Arditti Quartets.

He works as composer and lecture as well as studying for a PhD in composition under the supervison of Dr Paul Archbold, Director of Institute Music Research, London University.

Mocksim (Micheál O’Connell)

Recently nominated for The Deutsche Börse Photography Prize and included on the final shortlist for eva International 2012, Mocksim/Micheál O’Connell has exhibited widely in recent years at venues such as the Whitechapel London, the online world Second Life and a campsite in Venice

In response to the question “How do you describe your practice?”: “My mode of working involves firstly observation, gathering materials, objects, ideas, equations even, creating something I may have to accept as overwhelming and then distilling from that individual (effectively minimalist) works. Formal considerations are important in exhibiting: the intention is rarely to provide evidence of an entire process.

I can frame this work in a number of ways, for example in terms of medium or the arenas I know best: digital tools for simulation and animation or photography. Relating art to ‘skills’ in this way keeps a certain kind of ignorant critic at bay but clearly the techniques employed are not always fundamental, in fact expertise can be a barrier. Typically what emerge are short looping films or ritualistic performances presented in conjunction with selected collected objects.

Another way I structure my activity is in terms of the idea of Feedback Loops. Circuits of this type are seen as intelligent in that they self-regulate but can also implode, act stupidly and fail spectacularly. I am interested in the communicative flow between entities, between people too, mediated through things, and including what is reflected back. My work is fundamentally observational but also about prodding or tickling in order to upset the equilibrium in these looping relationships (I think).”