The idea of non-binary jam arose from our practice of contact improvisation and was refined after a series of 4 open jams. Initially, we didn't know what we were looking for, and the experience of each jam formed the structure of the next. At the end of each jam, we discussed with the participants their bodily experiences.
1.
23.06.2019 / Studio 4.413
Open interaction system
The first jam is a self-organized open system without any clear rules, focused on contact, communication and interaction. The participants of the jam defined the duration and whether each part would be accompanied musically or supplemented by a video projection (single-celled organisms under a microscope).
2.
07.07.2019 / Studio 4.413
Duration and continuity
We decided to make the second jam longer (3 hours) in order to get away from the everyday mode of fragmentary perception, to find an opportunity to continue the chosen action and the way of existence in the space of improvisation. The soundscape helped to stay in continuity. It was created by electronic music sound artists @REBOOT. The musicians took a small sound and transformed it through filters. Participants used different modes of interaction: acoustic objects (an upset violin), everyday objects (a burst pillow), food (a watermelon on a plate), speech and voice. The duration and continuity of improvisation led to chaos and a variety of ways of interaction.
3.
18.08.2019 / Studio 4.413
Score for perception
The third jam had a structure: improvisation took place within the score defined in advance. Anya Ermakova (composer) proposed a score, which was based on the theory of perception of the Russian researcher of logic of the early twentieth century – Nikolai Groth. Score on the theory of perception of N. Groth has become for us a decision-making tool within the space of improvisation.
It might look like this:
1. Embodying [the situation]
Guiding boundary conditions:
Nothing to build. To pass through themselves, through technological extensions of each other, space, themselves in space. Sound pause (5-35min).
2. Entangling [the difference]
Guiding boundary conditions: finding a journey between very two different things (e.g. hand movement and some sound, state of boredom and floor temperature, etc). These things can be changed. Give space to breathe.
3. Digesting [all this]
Cycling <—> re-cycling.
Orienting <—> disorienting.
ad infinitum.
The soundscape was created by composer and artist Anya Ermakova, working with recordings of everyday sounds (refrigerator, parquet, ducks, etc.) in the same score as the participants. The space also had an accordion and a singing bowl, which could be interacted with not only as musical instruments, but also as objects.
Intermediate conclusion: equalization (horizontalization) of different elements (object, sound, movement) in the process of improvisation makes it possible to blur the established categories of perception.
4.
22.09.2019 / Studio of performative practices SDVIG
Non-binary jam
We decided to keep the score of the previous jam and call it 'non-binary jam'. The sound solution was refined (samples of recent everyday life were pre-selected and prepared). The sound was created by Anya Ermakova (composer) and Sebastian Perez (musician and astrophysicist).
Intermediate conclusion: non-binary jam can be a format of investigation of non-binary relations in the space of improvisation.
Thesis: the practice of "non-ordinary" sets the space for the emergence of new connections and structures of perception.
Sound:
Anya Ermakova
Sebastian Perez
Valeria Polyanskaya, Vova Nedvetsky (@REBOOT)
Participants for 4 jams:
Anastasia Kizilova
Marina Russkih
Polina Fenko
Janessa Clark
Alina Samarina
Alla Mitrofanova
Dasha Che
Marina Tokareva
Denis Medvedev
Alexander Dmitriev