A Sound Journey to Freedom by Phantom Limb and Noise in Yangon
Exhibitions, Free, Music
Sunday 23rd January 10:00am – Sunday 20th February 2022 4:00pm
God's House Tower, Town Quay Road, Southampton, SO14 2NY
A Sound Journey to Freedom was a collaborative exhibition by Phantom Limb and Noise in Yangon, in which musical ideas were expressed through visual art from artists in Myanmar and the UK.
A traditional score is not the only way to communicate a musical/sound idea. In fact, for more complex ideas than can be notated traditionally, an alternative means of expression might be more effective.
Myanmar has been under military siege since Feb 2021. Many people there are engaged in an ongoing civil disobedience movement and various peaceful protests, as well as the assimilation of a civilian & armed defence force. Despite the challenges of everyday life in the country (banks not working, schools not working) and the enormous sense of disappointment amongst young people in having lost the relative freedom they have enjoyed in 10 years of relative democracy, the spirit amongst the artistic community remains vibrant. This is not to discount the presence of very real violence being exacted upon the public by the military junta daily, across the country.
Thanks to British Council funding, we presented this exhibition of visual art works curated Phantom Limb Touring and Noise in Yangon, intended to be interpreted in sound from artists based in their counterpart country. Where perhaps an appropriate response from government, leaders, international community etc is lacking, or is ineffective, we have tried to create the conditions for feeling, and a response to be voiced through art, exhibition & performance. We offered an opportunity to respond to and engage with issues and narratives outside of those presented through daily media bandwidth, in a location pertinent to the issues at hand – Southampton, the old locale of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma.
Featuring: Anton Lukoszevieze, Gaspard Casimir, Irma Vep, Kim Macari, Kyee Nyo.Gabriel Htoo, Kam Seng Aung, Joshua Weitzel, Samuel Tsao: Tan Bone သံဗုံ, Moe Myat May Zarchi aka P.O.E.M & Benjamin Oliver, Musica Htet, Miedo Total, Thoughtform.
The exhibition ran from Friday 21st January to Sunday 20th February 2022 at God’s House Tower.
