everyday objects, feedback, performance, sensors

Empty Chairs

I enjoy looking at empty chairs. How they are placed, how their positions tell me something about who sat on it or who will sit on it. Rows of chairs, chairs in a circle, chairs standing chaotically. Then at some point in our lives, chairs also remain empty. Forever. My piece Empty Chairs stages three empty chairs, each with a loudspeaker attached. A system of live recorded sounds and electronic processing brings them to life. A performer interacts with the chairs by moving them, placing them in new formations, and trying out different positions. A microphone placed in the middle of the room is looking for utterances and reminiscences of people who once sat on those chairs. Besides the version for one performer, there is also a version for two or three performers (see the video below). This piece partially produced during a residency at iii in The Hague and was also commissioned by iii.

empty chairs sensors microphone performance
empty chairs sensors microphone performance

This is the trailer for the trio version as performed by FRAMES percussion:

FRAMES percussion