Soundscape

Preaching Avant-Garde to the Commuter

2005

© Joanna Malinowska  

The video showcases a performance of John Cage's "4'33" in the New York subway. In the artist's vision, the composition is intended to be constituted by the ambient sounds present in the surrounding environment (in which the performance takes place). This choice should underscore the significance of the environment itself.
Notably, it is the audience that shapes the performance, with the performer serving as the director of the scene. The performer theatrically presents herself as if on the verge of commencing the piece, yet never actually playing. The performance becomes an anticipation of the sound, where the score explicitly instructs the performer to refrain from playing anything throughout the duration of the piece.
In fact, the music is suggested, but not executed—the anticipation itself constructs the musical experience, while the ambient noises of the performance venue remain present, contributing to the overall auditory landscape.

Courtesy: Collezione Anna e Francesco Tampieri

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