The 24th edition of Subtropics, the globally recognized experimental biennial of music and sound art, aims to ignite the lost art of listening with a summer festival featuring live concerts, sound art installations, workshops and films. Co-hosted by ArtCenter/South Florida, this year’s series will feature live performances from July 6-22 by internationally recognized artists including: Olivia Block, John Driscoll, Richard Garet, Barbara Held, Gustavo Matamoros, Abbey Rader and Jack Wright, plus Miguel Alvarez Fernandez and Victor Aguado Machuca from AMEE (the Association of Electroacoustic Music of Spain). The series of performances will culminate with the Subtropics Marathon concert on Saturday evening, July 22 (a non-stop session of multiple artists, happening from 5 p.m. to midnight).
Performances presented during Subtropics XXIV are site-specific experiences, and the act of listening is the common thread throughout. Programming for the festival focuses on three forms: sound art (installations), experimental music (idea/concept based), and free musics (completely improvisational).
“Our experiences today are smothered by technology, dampening our senses in a vacuum and creating a sense of disconnection. We are at a crossroads and need to ignite the lost art of listening,” said Gustavo Matamoros. “Sound art and experimental music are excellent tools that help us expand our listening palate. At our performances and sound art installations, these experiences can help audiences amplify their awareness, nurturing listening skills that are crucial now more than ever.”
View the complete schedule of events and locations at subtropics.org/XXIV). All events are free, but space is limited and the concert locations are intimate venues (the public is encouraged to arrive early). Most events and performances take place at the Audiotheque at ArtCenter/South Florida in studio 201.
Sound Art Installations:
Opening Reception July 5, 7-10 p.m.
Listen – by Gustavo Matamoros
Microcosmos – by Alba Triana
Subtropics kicks off
July 5 with the opening reception for two sound art installations:
Listen (by the festival’s Founder and Artistic Director, Gustavo Matamoros), and Microcosmos (by Alba Triana).
Located in ArtCenter’s main gallery, Listen is a one-of-a-kind sonic immersion experience that includes sound pieces adapted specifically to the space. The gallery will be darkened, allowing visitors to focus on active listening, the underlying theme of the festival.
Microcosmos is a vibrational sculpture that explores the resonance of a cymbal as it goes through different levels of excitation and is installed in studio 209. The opening reception is free and open to the public, July 5th from 7-10 p.m. at 924 Lincoln Road (these two installations will continue through Sept. 3).
“We are proud to continue serving as a haven for this important art form,” said Maria del Valle, the Executive Director of ArtCenter/South Florida. “ArtCenter is known for advancing the artistic space for innovation.”
HONORING THE LIFE AND WORK
OF CHARLES RECHER
The festival will also celebrate the life and work of the late Miami Beach installation artist and filmmaker Charles Recher, with an evening dedicated to his films: Charles Recher: Miami Ciné Dadaist, A Mini Film-Retrospective/Perspective on July 6 at 9:00 p.m. at Miami Beach Cinematheque, 1130 Washington Avenue. He was renowned as a beloved architect of Miami’s early arts scene and created installations for Art Basel.
Click here to read in-depth about Subtropics XXIV, courtesy of News Travels Fast!
