[ISEA2002] Artist Statement: Maria Mencia — Birds Singing other Birds Songs (Audible Writing Experiments)

Artist Statement

Birds Singing other Birds Songs is a sound and video piece, which has been produced using various digital and multimedia programmes (Photoshop, Illustrator and Flash). The conceptual basis for the work is an exploration into the idea of the translation process: from birds’ sounds into language and back to birds’ songs via the human voice with the knowledge of language, These birds are animated ‘text bids’ singing the sound of their own text while flying in the sky. The letters, which create their physical outlines, correspond to the transcribed sound made by each of the birds. Nevertheless, the sound doesn’t correspond to the visual representation of the real bird. The sound is produced by the human voice slightly manipulated in the computer. The birds appear on screen in a random manner. This work is also in the form of an interactive piece where the user can choose the birds he/she want to see flying in the sky. Installation space: projection onto a covered window, giving the impression of a window or onto a big glass window.

  • Maria Mencia is a London, UK, based artist/researcher, of Spanish nationality, born in Caracas-Venezuela. She is currently doing a Fine Art Practice based PhD at Chelsea College of Art & Design, The London Institute. The title of her research is: From Visual Poetry to Digital Art: An exploration of new communicative systems formed by text as a visual, semantic and aural element in the production of meaning using digital technologies. She was awarded an AHRB (Arts & Humanities Research Board) grant in Nov. 2000 towards her doctorate studies. She exhibits and has performed nationally and internationally: Spain, England, Belgium, Holland, USA, Germany, Norway, Cuba and Japan. Studied English Philology at the Complutense University, in Madrid, Spain, (1983). BA in Fine Art at Camberwell College of Arts (1990-1993) and MA in History and Theory of Art at Chelsea College of Art & Design (1996-98) London. Here, she started her research in Art Theory and Practice in the area of Language and Communication, which lead to her PhD studies. She lectures in Spanish, work, as a translator, Artist Educator and Visiting Art Lecturer in galleries, art centres, schools, art colleges and media centres. She is co-founder of two Community Arts Organisations: IDEA and TAL She is a member of the research project: The Integration of Computers within Fine Art Practice-Camberwell and Chelsea Colleges of Art- London-UK.

Supported by the AHRB (Arts and Humanities Research Board)