Soundwaves opening at Moody

By Julia Li     1/25/22 11:34pm

The Moody Center for the Arts is hosting their latest exhibition, “Soundwaves: Experimental Strategies in Art + Music,” to celebrate the history of artistic and musical experimentation, paying homage to visual and performing artists that blend the two together into a melting pot of visual and sonic elements. 

This exhibition incorporates the experimental strategies in art and music to illustrate the threads that connect these two seemingly disparate mediums together. The exhibit tackles an array of themes, including perception, memory, passage of time, relationships between technology and the environment and the struggle for social change. 

Alison Weaver, the executive director of the Moody Center, said that the exhibit is particularly meaningful this year. 

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“The exhibit was inspired by the fifth anniversary of the Moody Center for the Arts and the 10th anniversary of the Turrell Skyspace, the first [Skyspace] in the world to feature an embedded speaker system,” Weaver said. “As we celebrate this anniversary year, our hope is that the experimental spirit inspired by the Skyspace will continue to resonate through the next decade of arts at Rice.” 

The exhibit features many artists including Nevin Aladağ, Raven Chacon, Jamal Cyrus, Spencer Finch, Idris Khan, Christine Sun Kim, Trevor Paglen, Anri Sala and Jorinde Voigt, among others. The works showcase experiential, sensory responses with undetermined outcomes; Nevin Aladağ’s “Body Instruments,” Jason Moran’s “gestural paintings,” and Naama Tsabar’s “Transition series” focus on the visceral body of the person who creates, performs and experiences such sensory responses. 

The exhibition will be accompanied by performances in the galleries and in the blackbox theater located in the Moody Center. 

“We’re looking forward to a season of programs and performances in collaboration with Rice faculty and Shepherd School of Music students, as well as visiting artists and musicians,” Weaver said. “The first is Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. led by conductor Jerry Hou of the Shepherd School, and the second [is] on Apr. 14 by visiting Navajo artist Raven Chacon.” 

The student opening will have music provided by KTRU, food and drinks and is intended to be student-focused.

“We’re planning on having free boba tea for the first 50 students attending as a treat to open the new semester,” Marc Armena, the co-chair of the Moody Student Collaborative that is hosting the student opening, said. 

Because of the exhibition’s focus, The Moody Student Collaborative is reversing the flow of inspiration of art from music by launching “The Soundwaves Playlist.”  

“We launched an open call for suggestions on our Instagram page. There’ll be six posts, each featuring a different piece from the exhibition where students can comment music suggestions,” Armena said. “Each post is another way to increase their chances to win a $25 Coffeehouse gift card. The finished playlist will be featured by the KTRU DJ at the opening where the winner will be announced.” 

[1/29/2022 11:15 a.m.] This article has been updated to reflect that the student opening is on Jan. 29. 

[1/29/2022 2:46 p.m.] This article has been updated to reflect that the student opening will not feature student performances.

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