There are over 80 artists participating in FIGMENT Boston this year. Over the next week, we will continue to give you a little preview of some of the great projects that you will see on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
Classically-trained violinist, Shaw Pong Liu will be presenting an interactive performance of work from A Bird a Day, a year-long exploration of sunrises, birds, and music. The public is invited to join the artist in deep listening to the environment, and the creation of a sonic response.
A Bird a Day began on Oct 1, 2010 as an exercise in connecting music-making directly with nature: one bird at a time. The parameters: spend some time with a bird each day, and have that experience be the creative impetus for musical ideas, improvisations, and compositions. The birds are recorded with a Zoom digital recorder, and the “field” recordings, as well as selected creative responses, are posted on her blog. The FIGMENT performance of A Bird a Day will take place on June 4th from 11am-2pm.
What inspired you to start A Bird a Day, and why did you decide to bring it to FIGMENT?
For a classically-trained violinist who is making her own path, A Bird a Day has been a fascinating way to bring together my love of music, nature, and sunrises over the last eight months. FIGMENT offers me the chance to add one more element – the public, outdoor, festival-setting, and I’m thrilled to share the project in this setting! (Something Boston needs more of – thank you, FIGMENT!)
Have you participated in FIGMENT previously?
This is my first year with FIGMENT, and I’m excited about it because I love: 1) outdoor festivals, 2) the juxtaposition of diverse artists and art-forms, and 3) the idea/challenge of street performance and engaging a mobile audience.
How will taking part in FIGMENT challenge you as an artist?
I’m always trying engage listeners more actively, so interaction is important to what I do. However, there are extra challenges to performing in a public space, for a completely unknown audience, and outdoors, without the benefit of walls, chairs and stage to “frame” the performance. Also the more participatory I try to get, the more challenging it is, because the art becomes very open-ended – how will different listeners respond to the same prompts or cues? How does that change the work? How much control am I willing to let go of?
FIGMENT is an explosion of creative energy. It’s a free, annual celebration of participatory art and culture where everything is possible. For two days this summer, it will transform the Rose Kennedy Greenway into a large-scale collaborative artwork, and then it’s gone. There will be art and activities of all different kinds and you are invited to come participate, play and make your own!
FIGMENT is a free, non-profit event, and we rely grants and donations and do not accept corporate sponsorships. Please donate to FIGMENT and help support interactive and participatory art to Boston.
