Αriel Guzik’s latest invention, Cordiox, is Mexico’s centrepiece at the 2013 Venice Biennale, one that brilliantly utilises the country’s National Pavilion at the former Church of San Lorenzo to create a singular sound space. Synthesizing music, physics, biology and mathematics, this artfully complex sonic machine captures the visitor’s presence, creating an impromptu soundtrack for the mind and soul that will be hard to match.
For the 55th annual Venice Biennale, Mexico will show at its new National Pavilion in the former
Church of San Lorenzo, in San Lorenzo campo.
Αt
the initiative of commissioner Gaston Ramirez Feltrin - an artist and
Venice resident himself for the past 12 years - Mexico has undertaken
the highly ambitious project of restoring the abandoned 9th century
church, where it was rumoured Marco Polo was buried, after almost a
century of disuse. By doing so, not only does the restored church
building bring out an exceptional piece of local history, but it also
invests in a prolific future at the world class event, for the next nine
years at least, as was specifically agreed with the Commune of Venice.
The ensuing public polemic, was naturally fierce since the undertaking
came at great financial cost - though one can surely argue that it’s
financially wise for a country to invest in a permanent exhibition
space. The church’s location also came under scrutiny as it’s off the
Biennale main thoroughfare, which could possibly deprive the Pavilion of
a large chunk of visitors. This is where artist Ariel Guzik and his Cordiox
step in, to explore and exploit the historic building in unpredictable
and extraordinary ways, ultimately uniting the two divergent fronts in
an artistic pact that - he hopes - both would find irresistible.
Guzik
has made subtle sound, vibrations and resonance in nature a focal point
in his work. Through his highly sophisticated electromagnetic devices,
the sounds emitted by plants, whales, sun rays etc create a symphony of
unexpected sounds that in normal circumstances the human ear can’t
perceive. Applying now the same philosophy and technical expertise,
Guzik found an innovative way for the Biennale visitors to explore the
most hidden corners of the old church - given the nearly derelict state
of the construction in places - translating the natural ambiance to
crystalline sound. Technically speaking, Cordiox is
a 4-meter high machine comprising of a main cylinder, 45 cm in diameter
and 180 cm in height, as well as 180 strings, divided into three
separate instruments like harps. The machine will be dismantled, in
order to be sent to Venice, and then reassembled on location. When a
visitor enters the former church, this alters the natural balance of the
ambiance, creating new, unexpected music that is practically
unrepeatable. Each new soundpiece is unique to the visitor and the
moment, making Cordiox simultaneously a fascinating personal experience and a magnetic force that could attract thousands.
An
autodidact initially focused on electromagnetics, Ariel Guzik (b. 1960
in Mexico City), spent years investigating new ways to bring his
passions together, uniting the feeling of music with the rigour of
science. Also juggling a keenness for electronics,
traditional medicine and the saxophone, Guzik played in experimental
jazz bands before he dedicated himself to bringing forth the sounds of
natural life. His first project Espejo Plasmaht,
an outstanding way of perceiving signals, was 20 years in the making.
By now though, Guzik has had his share of international shows. One of
his most memorable works, La Banda Nerviosa Autónoma (The Autonomous Nervous Band,
2002-2005) was an unorthodox 16-robot-spider orchestra rhythmically
improvising on percussion. Between science and science fiction, Nereida
(2007) was a resonance machine for immersion into water. In a time when
science seeks to bare more and more of nature’s secrets, Guzik strives
to give nature a voice - and a magic all its own.Mexico Team
Artist: Ariel Guzik
Commissioner: Gaston Ramirez Feltrin.
Curator: Itala Schmelz.
Venue: Ex Chiesa di San Lorenzo, Campo San Lorenzo
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