[+] ALEXIS O’HARA (QUÉBEC)
The Sorrow Sponge
An interactive experience designed to help you feel better. You are cordially invited to lay your head on the ample and inviting shoulders of The Sorrow Sponge, unburdening yourself at will. If you must, stay silent, enjoying the soothing sounds emanating from The Sorrow Sponge’s shoulders. You are encouraged to speak, citing your worries, fears, anxieties or, perhaps, the lack thereof. The Sorrow Sponge is here for you. This participative live installation generates audio source material for the Live Musical Thesis on The Sorrows of Glasgow to be presented after several days of one-on-one encounters. Remember: You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head but you can stop them from building nests in your hair.
Alexis O’Hara straddles forms, painting soundscapes and narrative atmospheres with her body, a mic, and a series of electronic pedals. A former poetry slam champ and newspaper columnist, she now divides her time between three parallel artistic pursuits: performance poetry, sound art, and interactive live art. Her work has graced stages in many cities from the swamps of Louisiana to the midnight sun of the Yukon. By exploiting pseudo-virtuosities in verbal, gutteral, and technological melodies, O’Hara engages in spontaneous sound and body combats, reverberating the essential absurdities of life.
photo by Chris Kralik