Somerset House Studios

Conversations about language. Artist Nick Ryan presents an ontological adventure into voice recognition, language, semiotics, sensory experience, immersive sound and imagination.  The series documents and delves into the research being undertaken by Nick Ryan and his collaborators for RE:COGNITION, an interdisciplinary project exploring the connection between the sound of spoken language) and meanings manifest in the physical world as sound or concepts otherwise capable of being represented sonically. Angela Terrill is a Linguist and is known for her comprehensive study of Lavukaleve, a Papuan Language spoken on the Russell Islands in the Central Province of the Solomon Islands. Lavukaleve is described as an ‘isolate’ language, bearing little relation even to other languages in the Solomon Islands, despite having existed for many thousands of years. Through her knowledge of studying this unique language, Angela is able to share much about how a spoken language is formed, used and develops over time. The c

Conversations about language. Artist Nick Ryan presents an ontological adventure into voice recognition, language, semiotics, sensory experience, immersive sound and imagination.  The series documents and delves into the research being undertaken by Nick Ryan and his collaborators for RE:COGNITION, an interdisciplinary project exploring the connection between the sound of spoken language) and meanings manifest in the physical world as sound or concepts otherwise capable of being represented sonically. In this episode Donald Hoffman, Professor of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, puts forward the radical proposal that everything we perceive as reality, in fact bears little relation to the ‘real’ world in which we live. His work is based on evolution and rigorous modelling, and reflects on Nick’s mission to build a machine that translates spoken language into the audible sensation of its meaning. Don is an author of over 100 scientific papers and three books, including Visual Inte

Artist Nick Ryan presents an ontological adventure into voice recognition, language, semiotics, sensory experience, immersive sound and imagination. RE:COGNITION is an interdisciplinary project exploring the connection between the sound of spoken language) and meanings manifest in the physical world as sound or concepts otherwise capable of being represented sonically: an ontological adventure into voice recognition, language, semiotics, sensory experience, immersive sound and imagination. The series documents and delves into the research being undertaken by Nick Ryan and his collaborators. It will guide listeners through aural exploration into AI, linguistics and semiotics.  In connection to this Nick Ryan presents The Gulf of Understanding (Re:cognition) as part of BONDS at Gallery 31, Somerset House Studios’ permanent exhibition space which opens September 2019. The Gulf of Understanding (Re:cognition) taps into the magic of making sense, exploring the sound of spoken language and its relationship

#5 Apparatus: Equipment, methods, original recordings since used in tracks. Ceremony at temple starting, Ubud; machine? - unknown; instrument recording in Rotterdam; playing the organ; yangqin recording; unknown machine, Arctic; Unknown; Unknown; playing the piano, London; Greek wedding, Thessaloniki; crickets at night, Canada; running water, unknown; organ; fire safety training; unknown; kemence recording; vocal recording - unknown; exhibition; violin sampling; radio set in a gallery; gallery, Tokyo; violin recorded at home, wind chimes on a mountain on Teshima Island. Drawing inspiration from a story during a journey to the abandoned Arctic settlement of Pyramiden, Ubi Sunt is the culmination of years of collected sonic moments. It was said that from this archipelago in the far north, left behind by all of its 1000 inhabitants for over a decade, ‘ghost’ radio signals had suddenly been detected. A singer whose family were from the original town had been sent an anonymous cassette tape, with recordings of

#4 Orison: Efficacy of Prayer and Pilgrimage. Kecak performance, Indonesia; instrument recordings; gamelan from a banjar in the street, Bali; monks in Cantonese, Po Lin monastery; Chinese temple, unknown; Unknown - Tokyo; chants, Sha Tin; prayer, unknown; yangqin recordings; gong recording, Tirta Empul water temple ceremony; unknown; Bali airport; train journey - unknown; monk on car radio, Martyrria, Crete; gong recordings. Drawing inspiration from a story during a journey to the abandoned Arctic settlement of Pyramiden, Ubi Sunt is the culmination of years of collected sonic moments. It was said that from this archipelago in the far north, left behind by all of its 1000 inhabitants for over a decade, ‘ghost’ radio signals had suddenly been detected. A singer whose family were from the original town had been sent an anonymous cassette tape, with recordings of them picked up from the region. Ubi Sunt is a new audio work by Flora Yin-Wong, commissioned by Somerset House Studios, composed of a tetralogy o

#3 Argot: Language, the way mankind communicates through voice and mainstream culture. Early south-east Asian music; kecak performance at sunset, Uluwatu, Indonesia; record played in Hong Kong; car radio, UK; man in the street with a boombox, London; Mark Leckey interview; extreme spin class, London; Harrods video; wedding; club, unknown; family in Hong Kong; TV channel, hotel in New York; Unknown; Gig, unknown; car radio, Mariah Carey; gym class; bar, Mayfair; HXE in club; something outside the window; radio in Indonesian taxi; restaurant, China; store, Hong Kong; Unknown; gallery, last London; girl in car at 6am in Vienna on the way back to the venue (sorry). Drawing inspiration from a story during a journey to the abandoned Arctic settlement of Pyramiden, Ubi Sunt is the culmination of years of collected sonic moments. It was said that from this archipelago in the far north, left behind by all of its 1000 inhabitants for over a decade, ‘ghost’ radio signals had suddenly been detected. A singer whose fam

#2 Remains: Fragments of memories, friends, voices. Unknown - Berlin?; Unknown; Car radio - South London; club, Hong Kong; club, Greece; car radio, UK; Paris, France; car factory, Belgium; gallery, Paris, Sai Wan, Hong Kong; store, Seoul, South Korea; car journey, Hong Kong; London; Chicago; Tokyo supermarket, Japan; taxi, Hong Kong; traffic, Bali; Billie Piper, Unknown; escalators district, Hong Kong; tunnel, London; Camden gig; gallery, Paris; Soundcheck - unknown; Turkish wedding, London. Drawing inspiration from a story during a journey to the abandoned Arctic settlement of Pyramiden, Ubi Sunt is the culmination of years of collected sonic moments. It was said that from this archipelago in the far north, left behind by all of its 1000 inhabitants for over a decade, ‘ghost’ radio signals had suddenly been detected. A singer whose family were from the original town had been sent an anonymous cassette tape, with recordings of them picked up from the region. Ubi Sunt is a new audio work by Flora Yin-Wo

#1 Terrene, 'of, or like earth', focuses on the physicality of land and air.  Dungeness, UK: wind, gravel, Hokkaido, Japan: crows in the mountain, snow, Polyrrhenia ruins, Crete: aquaduct at night, Ubud, Bali: running stream, insects in rice paddy fields, Budapest, Hungary: tunnel, Chicago: subway, Unknown, Hong Kong: construction in distance, Belgium: car warehouse, Unknown: thunderstorm, snow.  Drawing inspiration from a story during a journey to the abandoned Arctic settlement of Pyramiden, Ubi Sunt is the culmination of years of collected sonic moments. It was said that from this archipelago in the far north, left behind by all of its 1000 inhabitants for over a decade, ‘ghost’ radio signals had suddenly been detected. A singer whose family were from the original town had been sent an anonymous cassette tape, with recordings of them picked up from the region. Ubi Sunt is a new audio work by Flora Yin-Wong, commissioned by Somerset House Studios, composed of a tetralogy of sound pieces that abruptly

How do we surf and ride the wave of existence? Breaking down the work of Maurice White, Marvin Gaye, Buju Banton, Tupac Shakur, and Matana Roberts, Somerset House Studios resident Nadeem Din-Gabisi explores the artists that have inspired him artistically, serving as influence to his new multi-media project, POOL.   POOL examines the mental health issues of many young Black men, born in inner and outer London. Touching on personal moments of trauma and happiness, POOL seeks to find peace within these moments, asking: how can we maintain ourselves in spite of all the external factors faced?  Nadeem Din-Gabisi's work is centred around the re-presentation of the black image, pertaining to people of African Descent and the limitlessness of what it means to be black, other and more than that. His practice has been influenced by many years of work as a youth and play worker. Nadeem has recently completed his Masters in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art, performs regularly as part of the musical phenomenon Steam

How can we use technology to nurture a more inclusive culture in digital art, electronic music, and beyond? In June 2019, Somerset House Studios partnered with Mutek and the British Council to host the Amplify Residency, bringing together eleven female and non-binary digital artists and electronic musicians from across world for a week of talks, presentations and performances. Artists in residence rkss, Ale Hop, Sabrina Ratte and Milena Pafundi reflect upon (Inter-), a 2-day programme of installations, presentations, panel discussions and live performances exploring image, sound and digital art. Ursula K. Le Guin wrote that “technology is the active human interface with the material world”. From the digital tools that platform and enable activism, to architecture that tacitly governs our movement through space, technology has changed the ways in which we create, communicate and relate to each other.  (Inter-) is born out of Amplify, an ambitious initiative that connects an active network of female-id

Musician, producer, DJ and Somerset House Studios resident Nabihah Iqbal invited artist and photographer Wolfgang Tillmans to share and discuss the music that is most important to him in front of an intimate audience. The talk and collective listening experience was part of the Glory to Sound series - talks, live shows and club nights, with the aim to experience and explore music from different perspectives, and to think about what it means to us. Wolfgang Tillmans Born in 1968 in Remscheid, Germany, Wolfgang Tillmans studied at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design in Bournemouth, UK, from 1990 to 1992. In 2000, Tillmans was the first non-British artist and the first photographer to receive the Turner Prize. In 2013 he was appointed member of the Royal Academy of Arts. In 2015, he was awarded the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography. Since the early 1990s, Tillmans’s work has been the subject of prominent solo exhibitions at international institutions; in recent years at Ku

The importance of Queer spaces Since 2006 London alone has lost more than half of its LGBTQIA+ spaces. In this episode we explore what it means to be queer and the act of queering itself. Speaking to creatives and activists who are finding new ways of transforming and performing in Queer spaces, and why these spaces are so vital to the city and its future.  Contributors Amy Lamé  Amy Lamé is the night Czar of London, appointed in 2016 by Sadiq Khan. She is co-founder of the Olivier Award-winning arts company and club night Duckie, and co-founded RVT Future, a voluntary LGBT+ community group campaigning to preserve the iconic Royal Vauxhall Tavern. She broadcasted for a decade on BBC Radio London, and now hosts Sunday afternoons on BBC6 Music.  Lucas LaRochelle Lucas LaRochelle is a multidisciplinary designer and researcher examining queerness, technology, and architecture. They are the founder of Queering The Map, a community generated counter-mapping project that archives queer moments, memories,

Has the internet truly brought autonomy to musicians?  The Internet has changed the way we make, share and listen to music. Now, more than ever, female and non binary artists should have the opportunity to be heard on their own terms. But what are the effects of algorithm led streaming sites on artist autonomy, our listening habits and the value of music? In this episode we speak to those in and around the music industry who are challenging the way we make and consume music in the age of streaming.  Contributors Liz Pelly  Liz Pelly writes about music, culture, streaming and the internet. She is a contributing editor at The Baffler, where she writes a column about how the world of music is being reshaped by the platform economy. Her byline has also recently appeared in the pages of Bitch, Frieze, and Logic Magazine. In 2018, she received a Reeperbahn Festival International Music Journalism Award for The Year's Best Work of Music Journalism. She lives in New York.  Terry Tyldesley Terry Tyldesley i

Shaking off the shame of womxn's rage It has been argued that 2018 was the year womxn’s rage filled our screens, and a pivotal time for womxn freely expressing their anger. In this episode, we talk about whether as womxn we are beginning to shake off the shame that comes with being angry, explore different types of anger but crucially, question who in our society is allowed to be angry, and who is not. Contributors  Charlie Craggs  Charlie Craggs is a trans activist and author of the book “To My Trans Sisters”. She is the founder of Nail Transphobia, an organisation and campaign which aims to educate people on trans issues and make new allies through giving manicures. Charlie is #1 on the Guardian New Radicals List of British Social Innovators, and a brand ambassador for the London Trans Clinic.  Seyi Akiwowo Seyi Akiwowo is the Founder and Executive Director of Glitch, a growing not-for-profit advocacy, campaigning and training organisation that aims to end online abuse. She has spoken all over t

Is a Feminist Alexa possible?  The voice of Alexa is everywhere. It is estimated that 70% of recorded voices in the UK are female or female sounding. But what are the consequences of having such gendered voices encoded into our space? And what is the potential of voice technology outside of commercial contexts? In this episode, we speak to the learning partners and students of the UAL Feminist Alexa workshop to explore what voice technology could be, and why we need an alternative to the default Alexa.  Contributors  Alex Fefegha  Alex is the co-founder & head creative technologist at Comuzi, a future focused creative technology agency, working at the intersection of emerging technology and humans. Some of Comuzi's clients include Nike, ASOS, Uber, BBC, University of Arts London, Ustwo, Moramma and the NHS. Josie Young  Josie Young advocates for designing Artificial Intelligence (AI) products and systems using ethical and feminist principles. In 2017, she developed and tested a design process

Dating apps, gamification and blockchain technologies. Marija Bozinovska Jones and Dr Alessandro Gandini address how dating apps influence the forming of technologically-mediated intimate relationships in a project exploring what decentralised organisational models bring into online dating cultures. As part of this project Athame, a LARP (Live Action Role Play) which was conceptually created by artist collective OMSK Social Club, and based on research informed by Technologically Fabricated Intimacy by Marija Bozinovska Jones and Dr. Alessandro Gandini was hosted at Somerset House Studios on 17, 18 and 19 January 2019. The podcast was recorded prior to the LARP event and some details may have changed since the recording.  Academics and artists work together to offer new perspectives on contemporary issues. Now in its second year, the King’s College London x Somerset House Studios scheme sees Studios residents receive support to collaborate with King’s researchers, with each artist-academic partnership creati

A live art-science research event from Thought Collider and Dr Charlotte Wells including a series of public experiments, performances and discussions, 3 Days of Fat focuses on the construction of an island of fat. Inspired by Fatberg, an ongoing artistic research project by Thought Collider and artist Arne Hendriks, 3 Days of Fat brought the artists and the Department of Nutritional Sciences at King’s together with a diverse range of guests and the public, to experience and discuss our complex relationship with fat as substance. Academics and artists work together to offer new perspectives on contemporary issues. Now in its second year, the King’s College London x Somerset House Studios scheme sees Studios residents receive support to collaborate with King’s researchers, with each artist-academic partnership creating projects that test ideas and offer new perspectives on contemporary issues. www.somersethouse.org.uk/blog/kings-college-london-x-somerset-house-studios-scheme-2018

A collaboration between FRAUD and Dr Btihaj Ajana, Euro-vision examines the archaeology of operations of predictive technologies and how these structure the emergence and evolution of migrant flows. Academics and artists work together to offer new perspectives on contemporary issues. Now in its second year, the King’s College London x Somerset House Studios scheme sees Studios residents receive support to collaborate with King’s researchers, with each artist-academic partnership creating projects that test ideas and offer new perspectives on contemporary issues. www.somersethouse.org.uk/blog/kings-college-london-x-somerset-house-studios-scheme-2018

Ted Hunt and King’s Professor in Philosophy of Mind Matthew Soteriou couple the practice of design and philosophy to actively ask: to what extent does the way we represent time reflect mind-independent, objective features of temporal reality, and what is subjective in our representation of time? What is fixed and what is malleable?  Academics and artists work together to offer new perspectives on contemporary issues. Now in its second year, the King’s College London x Somerset House Studios scheme sees Studios residents receive support to collaborate with King’s researchers, with each artist-academic partnership creating projects that test ideas and offer new perspectives on contemporary issues. www.somersethouse.org.uk/blog/kings-college-london-x-somerset-house-studios-scheme-2018

With the aim of encouraging a co-production of indigenous and scientific knowledge to tackle climate extremes, filmmaker Maeve Brennan and researchers from King’s Department of Geography, Dr Camilla Audia and Frances Crowley, researched the knowledge and expertise held in Burkina Faso’s rural households; homes that are subject to the most immediate and dramatic effects of climate change. Academics and artists work together to offer new perspectives on contemporary issues. Now in its second year, the King’s College London x Somerset House Studios scheme sees Studios residents receive support to collaborate with King’s researchers, with each artist-academic partnership creating projects that test ideas and offer new perspectives on contemporary issues. https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/blog/kings-college-london-x-somerset-house-studios-scheme-2018