Abstract
The second version of “Song for the Unknown” was completed for the Ars108 exhibition. The sound piece reflects on the topic of the silence of women in history. At the center, is a death mask that is said to have belonged to a young woman who lived in the 1880s. After being betrayed by love, the woman jumped off the bridge and drowned in the Seine. The girl’s identity and background have never been revealed. She was taken to the morgue where the pathologist marveled at the smile on her face, fell in love with the beautiful woman, and had a death mask made for her. It was sold on the banks of the Seine in a window gallery alongside celebrities such as Beethoven and Napoleon for decades.
The death mask was named L’Inconnue de la Seine, an unknown woman in the Seine. The mask has appeared in the texts of contemporary writers such as Reiner-Maria Rilke and Vladimir Nabokov. It was being photographed by Man Ray who gave the mask eyes and hair. Later, the death mask gave the face to a human-size doll Resusci Annie, who was developed to teach the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation method in the 1950s. Norwegian designer Åsmund Lærdal thought that the doll needed a female face, since men probably would not like to practice resuscitation technique with a male doll. The girl is said to be the most kissed woman in the world.
The muteness of the mask and the simultaneous multitude of interpretations have inspired this sound installation. The work reflects on what it is like to watch and listen to things that are unknown, and to surrender to its impact in one's own environment. A mask is attached to a tree and reflected on the surrounding stones. A quiet song make references to a story known only by its silence.
The sound installation consists of verses and fragments of singing, humming and playing piano. The human voice is presented as it is, without reverb or any other effects. The 3-channel video and 6-channel audio are repeated in loops of different lengths, so the work has no beginning, no end, and no defined duration.
The death mask was named L’Inconnue de la Seine, an unknown woman in the Seine. The mask has appeared in the texts of contemporary writers such as Reiner-Maria Rilke and Vladimir Nabokov. It was being photographed by Man Ray who gave the mask eyes and hair. Later, the death mask gave the face to a human-size doll Resusci Annie, who was developed to teach the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation method in the 1950s. Norwegian designer Åsmund Lærdal thought that the doll needed a female face, since men probably would not like to practice resuscitation technique with a male doll. The girl is said to be the most kissed woman in the world.
The muteness of the mask and the simultaneous multitude of interpretations have inspired this sound installation. The work reflects on what it is like to watch and listen to things that are unknown, and to surrender to its impact in one's own environment. A mask is attached to a tree and reflected on the surrounding stones. A quiet song make references to a story known only by its silence.
The sound installation consists of verses and fragments of singing, humming and playing piano. The human voice is presented as it is, without reverb or any other effects. The 3-channel video and 6-channel audio are repeated in loops of different lengths, so the work has no beginning, no end, and no defined duration.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Nokia |
| Publisher | Tehdas 108 - Tehdassaaren Osuuskunta |
| Publication status | Published - 2 Jul 2021 |
| MoE publication type | F2 Partial implementation of a work of art or performance |
| Event | ARS108 - Nansotalo, Nokia, Finland Duration: 2 Jul 2021 → 29 Aug 2021 Conference number: 2 |
Field of art
- Contemporary art
- Performance