memory full / memory fool

BCN
Life act: October 1, 2002, 10 pm. Hall CCCB, within “Aterrizaje forzoso”.
BAC! 2002
Project on line: www.fllanos.com/proyectos/memoryfool.html (html version) www.noiselab.com (flash version).
Arrival date to Barcelona: September 25
Tour days: September 26 and 27
Tour: Urgell, Plaza Catalunya, Ramblas, Raval and Barrio Gótico

Diary:
Grierner and Llanos establish the peripheral tour around the exhibition space and start recording. First day’s video footage is successful, while the registered audio is less fortunate. Because of the nature of each mediums recording, the differences are evidenced by the quality and quantity of usable materials of the first days. In Greirner’s vision, video recording is faster while audio recording takes more time and precision. According to Greiner, the microphone doesn’t allow the possibility to frame or focus as the video camera does, there fore, the audio obtained is saturated with motorcycles sounds that are all around the streets of Barcelona.

Regarding the results, the works statement is revisited. We establish that in the journeys we will look for interesting moments and places both for locals and for foreigners regarding audio and visual contents.

Greiner’s first interest is to take local sounds and transform them into rhythmic sequences with a dash of the source. Llano’s interest is to capture the images and enhance them with effects that explore their aesthetics values. By defining the journeys, intervening and manipulating the records, the intention isn’t to reproduce a documental vision but to look for aesthetic pleasure.

From the journeys recordings, eight medullar blocks are chosen for the reconstruction of the trip. The blocks were selected because of the site’s importance and the richness’ of the recordings: CCCB - MACBA square, Plaza Universidad, metro, Plaza Catalunya, Ensanche, St Antoni market, Rabal, and Rambla - Barrio Gótico.

In the interpretation and manipulation process of the materials, the idea of perceptual memory vs. digital memory is revisited. The determination factor that leads to direct the attention to a specific subject and not other, is linked to attention more then perception. Since digital processes are used to capture and review sounds and images, machines become extensions of the senses and body itself giving to these extensions the responsibility of registering and keeping records.

Llanos and I discuss one of the basic principles of memory full / memory fool, that is to explore obsessions exemplified in the idea of the loop, where the sequence has to be strong enough to not loose meaning or effect disregarding its constant repetition.

Conclusion:
After the presentation in Barcelona there is a feeling of in satisfactions on the three of us. First of all we feel that because of this being the first life act there was a lack of coordination and simultaneity of both audio and video. Second, taking from the publics response at the CCCB two possible postures arise: one where the public and locations’ atmosphere is taking into the piece modifying its’ rhythm and the other where the piece stands no matter what imposing its style and mood. We decide to take the second statement and make the pieces strong enough to stand in any situation.
After reviewing the life act document, we all agree that the feeling is better afterwards than it was after finishing the performance in Barcelona. This fact may have to many possible explanations and as such it is accepted.

MTL
Life act: October 11, 2002, 8:30 pm. Fellini Room, ExCentris. New Cinema and New Media Festival. FCMM
www.fcmm.com
Project on line: www.fllanos.com/proyectos/memoryfool.html (html version) www.noiselab.com (flash version)
Arrival date to Montreal: October 6
Tour days: October 7 and 8
Tour: Mont Royal, Old Montreal, Port, Bridge, Multimedia Center, Avenue Du Mont Royale, Universities and China Town.

Diary:
I arrive a day latte to Montreal, which means both Greiner and Llanos make the journeys by themselves. None of us have ever been in the City; there fore our expectations of what to look forward to are limited. After the two-day tours, the visual records are abundant and the audio, according to Greiner are poor, he even jokes with the fact that he was able to record the sound of an eating squeal in the park.
Above all for the three of us Montreal produces certain tranquility and a calm feeling. From the flat we share we can see the mountains.

For the first time we explore the feeling of the expectations of the locals and decide to not take this to seriously and impose our own style, and go into what are the most interesting and usable aspects of the journeys and make a strong piece. Greiner talks of a narrative issue, since this is a films festival, the style of the presented works are more into narrative than a snap shot experimental structure.

Talking directly about the audio and visual recordings, which were mostly taken in the same places but at different times. Llanos and Greiner speculate on the way to putt it all together without final answers. We will have to wait to have all the materials ready and materialize the piece. Never the less, the fact of having the sound and image recorded in different times, opens up options regarding the possible ways to put it all together. Greiner finds in the audio recordings the impossibility to structure it in a narrative manner and thinks that the visual records can be used in such way. Llanos speak of his records and suggest working with open shots that show the places and close shots that point to the details.

Both of them agree that the constant prohibition of video tapings and recording in stores, public and private spaces is very limitating and the answer of the people to see a camera or a microphone is too negative, narrowing down the possibilities to record the city’s atmosphere. This is a problem we never had before.

We establish that all resource will be applied modifying their use and exploiting them as much as possible.

The tour was made more concerned with people’s interaction than geographical or touristy aspects of the city, never the less, the exhibition space as axis was respected.

Analyzing the material contents Greiner and Llanos accept the fact that opposite to the Barcelona experience, in this case there will be no specific blocks of content to help build the journey. So the result we expect is more of an over all feeling of the city’s atmosphere.

Conclusion to the Montreal presentation at the FCMM
A couple of hours before the presentation, Greiner’s ibook freezes, leaving a huge amount of tension and terror because of the possibility of him not being able to recover the material in which he had been working for several days. Happily, minutes before the presentation, differences between Greiner and his computer where solved, and he was able to recover his work and proceed with the presentation.

The show, took place at the Fellin room at the Ex-Centris, where a photo exhibition had taken place before. In a couple of minutes the center personnel, transformed the space by placing tables and chairs so the public could seat down and see the presentation in an optimum way. The room had 3 computers so the online project was available to the public.

During the life act, the viewers were invited to come near the artists and see how Greiner and Llanos worked by mixing real time, sounds and images form their computers. Hence the artist-public barrier faded.

As a result of the Montreal experience, there where some misunderstandings and frictions between the members of the team. While Llanos, taking from the previous Barcelona event, tried to organize his material in a more active manner; Greiner tried to arrange the audio in a more ambient and calm way, according to his perception of what Montreal was all about. While Llanos looked for ways to attract the public’s attention by using fast changes and time variations Greiner, wanted to experiment more with atmospheric sounds avoiding rhythm. At first, this two opposing visions seemed little compatible, but in the life act, the result was rather positive. Once again, we have to deal with the project’s basic ideas and the how far might we go from there.

Montreal’s presentation was 100% improvised, because of a lack of time and, the temporary problem with Greiner’s computer, there was no time for rehearsals. Greiner and Llanos did not know each other’s material so the result was a very organic and fresh piece.

Each time memory full / memory fool is done; technique and teamwork are getting better. This is evident while looking at the first jam sessions compared to the last presentation.

Reviewing the project’s postulates, we discuss the difference of making a more “according to the rules” action without doing a documentary piece and instead, being more sensitive to the city’s atmosphere, letting each place dictate the work.

Because each presentation is made in-situ and locals mostly view it, it is very important to make it clear that the idea is not to discover the city for its habitants, but that it is an artistic and sensible interpretation.

MX
Presentation: febrery 11, 2003, 8 pm. Laboratorio Arte Alameda.
http://www.artealameda.inba.gob.mx
Tour day: febrery 5, 2003.
Tour: Alameda, Zocalo, Col. Guerrero, Eje 1 norte, Insurgentes, Bucareli, Arcos de Belen, San Juan de Letrán y Centro.

 

Diary:
The third presentation is in the city where we, the members of Memory full / Memory fool live.
For this show we have decided to change the project dynamics in the following highlights:

1. For the fist time, the journey was drawn in photoshop and overlap in a map that shows the surroundings of the exhibition space. In Montreal a plate was used as scale, while in Barcelona it was drawn by eye. This time the circular trip will be respected more strictly.
2. Greiner and Llanos made the journey the same day but separately and in opposite sense. This way audio and video will have their own importance.
3. Because we live here, the coexistence is almost nonexistent compared to the past presentations where we even lived together. In this case we all are doing our job on our own. Including the diary.

The project’s dynamics have changed for this presentation. In Barcelona sound and video were taken simultaneously, and Greiner and Llanos previously coordinated the life act. In Montreal the project was 100% improvised because of technical problems, although there was a basic structure that had to be followed to reconstruct the journey. Now in Mexico City all those structures have been broken to give independence and authonomus strength to each medium. The life act will be completely improvised and Greiner and Llanos don’t even know each other’s materials.

We believe to know well our city; it’s noises and images. We know that Mexico City and especially downtown where the exhibition space is located, is very rich, and full of life. Nevertheless, the surprise went along to the journey and the captured materials.

A marvelous surprise is that in Laboratorio de Arte Alameda, we have the best infrastructure that we have had: 4 simultaneous video projectors, optimum sound system, wonderful and very helpful staff and the support and total dedication of the museum’s team, as well as an amazing interest of the press.