From May 27 until June 4, the annual international interdisciplinary festival “Sound Days” will take
place in Liepāja, Kuršu street 20, at the Liepāja University and in the cultural center “Pegaza
Pagalms”. The 2023 festival is dedicated to the search for the in–between space in visual arts, audio
culture and literature. The festival is a meeting and cooperation platform for young artists, musicians,
students, professionals and others interested in sound, art, music and technology.
The interaction of sound and text will be discovered and researched in various forms – there will be
creative workshops, audiovisual performance evenings, an exhibition, readings of poetry and creative
texts, artist’s presentations, activities for families and children, demonstrations, as well as other
activities.
The festival will be opened with the opening of the exhibition and performances on May 27, it will be
open for the entire week of the festival until June.
Until May 29, those interested have the opportunity to apply for the central activity of the festival –
creative workshops led by internationally known artists. The workshops will take place from May 30th
to June 3rd and their results will be presented as part of the festival’s final performance program.
Under the leadership of Antye Greie-Ripatti (AGF) (DE/FI), audio sculptor, composer, sound artist &
curator/facilitator of sound art, poemproducer & intersectional feminist networker, there will be an
opportunity to study and create sounds – in the workshop we will explore, make sound and listen,
critic, reflect and sonify. We will listen to the current world and identify space for artistic positioning.
We will be looking to explore the questions: What is political sound? What is collective sound? How to
have a sonic position? Does sound have a transformative quality?
In the creative workshop of the programmer, artist and educator Olivia Jack (US/DE), you will have
the opportunity to learn visualization with the live coding using web–based video synthesizer “Hydra”
developed by the artist.
In the workshop of the experimental musician, sound and text artist Friedemann Dupelius (DE), it will
be possible to try out and try to find different formats to synthesize sound, thought and/or fiction –
such as Audio Papers, Sonic Fiction, Experimental Hörspiele or epistemic DJ Sets.
Under the guidance of sound artist and architect Maksims Šenteļevs (LV), participants will be invited
to use the environment as a composition tool and the objects found in it as sound tools in various
unusual places in the environment of the city of Liepāja.
In the creative workshop “Sound, Media and Text”, by choosing the materials and media closest to
them, the workshop participants will create and develop their creative works under the guidance of the
poet and artist Artūrs Punte (LV).
Academic composer, pianist and improviser Platons Buravickis (LV) will offer the participants to
learn various analog and digital methods for sound synthesis and will share his experience of using
improvisation in the creation of a piece.
Sound artist, lecturer and one of the creators of the internet radio platform “Tīrkultura / Unexpected
Sources Audio Gallery Radio” Reinis Semēvics (LV) will present methods and techniques for
creating sound compositions, using digital effects and realizing creative ideas using sound.
The rich range of “Sound Days” creative workshops will be complemented by a short format creative
workshop on May 30 and 31, 17.00 – 19.00, led by researcher and digital sound artist Tobias
Hartmann (DE) – there will be an opportunity to learn about a variety of free online tools for the
creation of interactive and reactive digital online artworks.
On June 2nd, activities dedicated to literature and experiments will take place throughout the day –
readings by Elīna Bākule–Veira (LV) and Ivars Šteinbergs (LV) and short–format creative
workshops, with the opportunity to learn unique methods of creating and performing sound poetry.
The evening will end with readings and multimedia performances by young writers of Liepāja
University.
On the closing evening of the “Sound Days” on June 3, there will be presentations of the results of
the creative workshops and a diverse and experimental program of sound performances, in
which the leaders of the creative workshops will take part. Several experimental music groups and
artists will also participate: Rabenau and Mellamellene with listening poetry, text and media artist
Diana Lelis in synergy with electronic music artist Mahi F. Bukimi, media artist Paula Vītola,
audiovisual organism Trihars and others.
On the other hand, all age groups, especially families with children, are invited to visit the open
creative workshops on May 28. Paula Vītola and Krista Dintere created a series of creative
workshops within the framework of the Latvian School Bag project “Senses – sounds”. Workshops will
study different listening techniques with or without technology, as well as introduce different methods
of sound creation and recording, unusual microphones and instruments. Text and media artist Diana
Lelis invites you to a poetry–collage workshop, (re)discovering ways, methods, laws and systems for
creative thought – to activate the ‘motor skills’ in the creation of short stories.
In recognition of new cultural places, on May 30, the performance of Juan Duarte Regino (MX/FI)
and Anton Felatov (DE), will take place on Tirgus Street 9, Jaunliepāja Cultural Centre “Fosfors”.
Duarte is a Finnish–based Mexican artist who creates artworks with environmental sounds to explore
ways of perceiving nature and technology. Until June 30, Duarte is the artist in residency of the Baltic
and Nordic art, science and techno-ecology residency program organized by the new media culture
center RIXC.
You will find the form and description of the application for workshops, as well as the full festival programme and other information on the festival’s website: sound.mplab.lv
“Sound Days” is organised by ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education and University Liepaja
University Art Research Laboratory (MPLab), in collaboration with the Liepaja University writing study
programme and the cultural site Pegaza Pagalms.
The festival is supported by the Liepaja Culture Board and the State Culture Capital Foundation
(VKKF).
The information was prepared by the festival’s representative, Paula Vītola, and Diana Lelis.
