Alectra of Avalon

live electromagnetic capture performance - 2020

Alectra of Avalon is a research-performance project as part of a residency held at DAIMON (QC) in 2020. The project focuses on the sound capture of electromagnetic fields. During a month-long residency, I built various coil microphones to capture a variety of different electromagnetic frequencies. In a bid to create a live performance, I chose to use exclusively the electromagnetic field of a child's robotic toy. The resulting improvisation comes from the coil microphones, without which nothing could be heard. In addition to an in-depth exploration of coil microphones, this short study also raises questions about the relationship between empathy and sound, and the still-present presence of animism in so-called "modern" societies. Alectra of Avalon proposes that sound, no matter where it comes from, necessarily links us to others, whether they are living beings or not.