Mem1
Mem1 seamlessly blends the sounds of cello and electronics to create a limitless palette of sonic possibilities. In their improvisation- based performances, Mark and Laura Cetilia’s use of custom hardware and software, in conjunction with a uniquely subtle approach to extended cello technique and realtime modular synthesis patching, results in the creation of a single voice rather than a duet between two individuals. Their music moves beyond melody, lyricism and traditional structural confines, revealing an organic evolution of sound that has been called “a perfect blend of harmony and cacophony” (Forced Exposure).
Founded in Los Angeles in 2003, Mem1 has traveled extensively, performing at Issue Project Room, Roulette, REDCAT / Disney Hall, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Electronic Church (Berlin), the Laptopia Festival (Tel-Aviv), the San Francisco Electronic Music Festival, and the Borealis Festival (Bergen). They have taken part in residencies at Harvestworks in New York, STEIM and Kunstenaarslogies in the Netherlands and USF Verftet in Bergen, Norway. In 2009, they created Visiting Hours, a site-specific installation for the Museums of Bat Yam (Israel); in Winter 2012, they travelled to London to create Visiting Hours II, a site-specific installation for the Sonic Arts gallery SoundFjord. Their piece Aphrosia (with video by Mark Cetilia) was screened at the Institute for Contemporary Art (London) as part of an evening of audiovisual works curated by Helen Frosi; collaborative works with media artists Liora Belford and Kadet Kuhne have been screened and installed at the Hordaland Kunstsenter (Bergen), the Sundance Film Festival, and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (San Francisco). Throughout their career, they have collaborated with a variety of musicians and sound artists including the Penderecki String Quartet, Steve Roden, Jan Jelinek, Frank Bretschneider, and Stephen Vitiello. Together, Mem1 curates the experimental music series Ctrl+Alt+Repeat and the record label Estuary Ltd.
Laura Cetilia was born and raised on the east side of Los Angeles, and leads the life of a chamber and orchestral musician, concert presenter, electronic musician, and music educator. Classically trained, Laura graduated with distinction from the School of Music at Indiana University and received her Master’s degree in cello performance from Wichita State University where she was awarded a position with the Graduate String Quartet. In Spring 2011, she worked with composer David Behrman during a residency at Atlantic Center for the Arts where she also collaborated with video artist Naho Taruishi on the audiovisual piece Corner Projection No. 6. As a soloist, she is comfortable working with and without electronics, most recently at the PHI Centre in Montreal as part of a series of performances organized in conjunction with the Ryoji Ikeda exhibition. In addition to her solo work, she is a member of the electroacoustic ensemble Mem1 with partner Mark Cetilia, and performs avant-garde chamber music with violist Robin Streb in their duo Suna No Onna. Suna No Onna has premiered works by composers André Cormier, Jürg Frey and Antoine Beuger in performances throughout Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Laura is also a member of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra and New Bedford Symphony. Laura is a Resident Musician at Community MusicWorks, a non-profit organization that provides free after-school music education programs for children in urban neighborhoods of Providence, RI. More at: laura.cetilia.org
Mark Cetilia is a sound / media artist working at the nexus of analogue and digital technologies. Exploring the possibilities of generative systems in art, design, and sound creation, Cetilia’s work is an exercise in carefully controlled chaos. Over the past decade, he has worked to develop idiomatic performance systems utilizing custom hardware and software, manifesting in a rich tapestry of sound and image. Mark is a member of the electroacoustic ensemble Mem1 and the experimental media art group Redux, recipients of a 2006 Creative Capital grant for their Callspace installation. He received his MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2008, and is currently pursuing his Ph.D in computer music and multimedia at Brown University. He has taught classes and workshops on sound, media art and programming at RISD, Brown University, OpenToko (Amersfoort, NL), and the TELIC Arts Exchange (Los Angeles, CA). Cetilia’s work has been screened / installed at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (London, UK), the Ben-Ari Museum of Contemporary Art (Bat Yam, IL), R.K. Projects (Providence, RI), the Atlantic Center for the Arts (New Smyrna Beach, FL), and SoundWalk (Long Beach, CA). He has performed widely at venues including Café OTO (London, UK), the Borealis Festival (Bergen, NO), STEIM (Amsterdam, NL), the REDCAT Theater at Disney Hall (Los Angeles), Roulette (NYC), Goethe-Institut (Boston), Menza Pri Koritu (Ljubljana, SI), Issue Project Room (Brooklyn, NY), Uganda (Jerusalem, IL), the San Francisco Electronic Music Festvial, Sound of Mu (Oslo, NO) and Electronic Church (Berlin, DE). His solo sound works have been published by Iynges, Anarchymoon and Quiet Design. More at: mark.cetilia.org
Robert Schwarz
Robert Schwarz is an architect, composer and sound artist, based in Vienna, Austria. Over the past decade, Robert Schwarz has developed a singular body of work on the intersection of fine art, music and architecture in various artistic and experimental settings. His approach is complemented by ongoing research in sound studies, that sets the basis for his artistic work. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from Vienna University of Technology, and a Master of Arts from Berlin University of the Arts and studied computer music at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Within his work, he merges these fields to new poetic dimensions. His installation works have been presented at museums and festivals such as Ars Electronica, Club Transmediale Berlin, Singuhr Hörgalerie, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Moscow International Biennale for Young Art, Wiener Festwochen, TONSPUR für einen öffentlichen raum and Kunsthalle Wien. He has received international scholarships and awards such as the MAK Schindler Scholarship, DAAD scholarship, SUAL Award, Leo Baeck grant and Fohn scholarship. His compositions have been released under different aliases by the labels Laton, Kinderkreuzzug, Vienna Wildstyle, Sonic Terrain, Mudblob and most recently by Gruenrekorder. He is current artist-in-residence at the MAK Center’s Mackey Apartments in Los Angeles, CA.
r-schwarz.tumblr.com
soundcloud.com/schwarz
MorYork
MorYork is the studio and gallery of artist Clare Graham, located in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The 7,000 square foot open space has been described as a “modern day cabinet of curiosities” (Los Angeles Magazine) that includes an “…eye-popping array of art objects [Graham] has made from recycled material.” (KCET Artbound).
This event was sponsored in part by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
