The Uninterrupted Song for the City

28 juin - 2 juillet 2023 • Sinzo Aanza, Hiromi Gut, Valentine Michaud, Vincent Glanzmann, Eden Sekulović, Rokia Bamba, Lynhan Balatbat-Helbock, Samuel Baah Kortey, Jere Ikongio, Andreas Brüll, Philippe Kocher

Museums have long faced questions about the origins of their exhibits. Is it art that has been looted during colonial times or is it art that has been looted during World War II? How does a Museum make stories accessible and who should be telling the stories.

But what if a museum were empty? What purpose would a museum serve? The project "The Uninterrupted Song for the City," by artist Sinzo Aanza and guerillaclassics, in collaboration with the Museum Rietberg delves into questions of who has the power to tell a story, to whom the stories should be told, and in which context they should be told. During the project, Aanza raises the question: "What if we gave all the objects in the museum back?" This would leave a place like the Museum Rietberg empty. What could potentially happen in this space, and what justifies its existence?

Last July, the collaborative sound installation project was premiered during guerrillaclassics' free flow festival. The idea originated from Aanza's idea of using computer programs to recompose sound archives from the Congo, and allowing them to interact with live performers. In brainstorming sessions before the festival, Aanza's idea was explored and developed, resulting in a project which brought together artists from diverse cultural and musical backgrounds, namely Sinzo Aanza, Huguette Tolinga, Vincent Glanzmann, Vladimir Petrov, and Hiromi Gut. Furthermore, it offers endless possibilities for future development with new musicians and techniques.

After its premiere in Zurich, the sound recordings were showcased at the Biennale in Lubumbashi, where Vicko Tengwa performed live, accompanying the recordings. In January 2023, trumpeter Christophe Leloil interacted with the recordings at IMéRA Marseille. The project will return to Zurich in April, where a new prototype of the sound installation will be created during a workshop phase by computer musician Philippe Kocher and sound designer Andreas Brüll. Curator and researcher Lynhan Balatbat-Helbock from Berlin's SAVVY Contemporary will oversee the project in the Zurich Hyperlokal. DJ Rokia Bamba, saxophonist Valentine Michaud, and cellist Eden Sekulović, will join the workshop and confront the sound archives for the first time by interacting with the "machine." The collaboration's outcome will be showcased in the Rietberg Museum in late June.

Publically accessible Prototyp-Workshops

Hyperlokal, Grubenstrasse 39, 8045 Zürich

25. - 28. April 2023, 10 AM - 4 PM

Please register attendance per e-mail: info@guerillaclassics.org

Sound Installations

Museum Rietberg, Gablerstrasse 15, 8002 Zürich

28. Juni - 2. Juli 2023, 10 AM - 5 PM

Performances

Museum Rietberg, Gablerstrasse 15, 8002 Zürich

28. Juni 2023, 7 PM, with Eden Sekulović

30. Juni 2023, 4 PM, with Vincent Glanzmann

1. Juli 2023, 4 PM, with Rokia Bamba

2. Juli 2023, 3 PM, with Valentine Michaud

About Sinzo Aanza:

Sinzo Aanza was born in DR Congo in 1990, and he is a poet, playwright, and visual artist. His debut novel, Généalogie d'une banalité, was published in 2015. Aanza's work explores the extraction of natural resources, the concept of national identities and their excesses, and the constructed perception of the Congo since colonial times. These themes are interwoven into both his literary and visual art.

Supported by GGKZ, Pro Helvetia, Hibou Stiftung, Stiftung Temperatio, SIS