ACQUA ALTA II

ACQUA ALTA II

Libita Clayton / Benjamin One

4:43 min WALK and LISTEN - PAUSE TO EXIT.

Located on a stretch of Fondemonte Nove with a view of the Island of San Michele, Venice’s cemetery since 1807. Also sited on the route between the Giardini Gardens and San Marco Square that looks out towards the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, the artists ‘encourage a forward motion, and thoughts of empowerment when listening’.

From the diaphragm come guts and nerve, collapsing respiratory muscle and vocalise, pace and pant. Opera singers Anne Fridal (soprano) and Ronald Samm (tenor) of the Black British Classical Foundation recite 2 worded scores based on memory, trace, scale and flood. The warm ups and failures surrounding these scores have been cut-up, cut-out and stitched together.

Libita Clayton samples components of speech. Partly to re-enact states of ritual and in part to stutter structure. She has worked with vocalist and producer Benjamin One on several collaborative projects. Both artists explore duality with rhythm, texture and loops - referencing water, breath and energy. Clunking, punk and classical techniques, into space, form and dysfunction. ‘ACQUA ALTA II’ is part of a larger body of work by Clayton titled ‘Typical-Political - A Domestic Riot’, exhibited in the Diaspora Pavilion, Venice 2017.  

Artist/producer: Libita Clayton Producer: Benjamin One Vocalist: Ronald Samm Vocalist: Anne Fridal

Libita Clayton’s practice is found somewhere in the cracks. Recent collaborations include: Bland Choreography, New Year / New Noise 4, Arnolfini; RESIST FLOW, (Gal-Dem) Victoria and Albert Museum; 1,2,1,2, //// Black- Voices Opera, Royal West Academy of England, UK. She exhibited with the Diaspora Pavilion during the 57th Venice Biennale. Benjamin One comes from a grassroots graffiti culture, true to the DIY lifestyle; he has been immersed in the pirate radio and Hip Hop scene for the last 20 years. Sound designer, vocalist, producer, and collaborator on projects including: Universal Magnetic, Rebel Instinct, Ghost Locust and Abf films.

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