Details
- Instrumentation:
- Kite Choir
- Credits:
- Firat Erdim · Visual Artist, Project Leader
Kite Choir was created and spearheaded by artist Firat Erdim since 2018. Drawing on the tradition of singing kites, this collaboration explored the sonic potentials of the instruments as well as developed a flexible score for these instruments that could be playable under any weather condition and by any person willing to participate in the piece.
The score draws its influence from Pauline Oliveros’s Sonic Meditations, encouraging participants to begin with the general instruction to “tie [their] breath to the sky” and meditate on the present weather conditions prior to beginning the piece. From this point, the piece is also indebted to scores such as Alvin Lucier’s Chambers and Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt’s Oblique Strategies. Existing as a deck of cards with graphic design by Kaitlin McCoy, kite choir participants are encouraged to draw four cards corresponding to the four following categories that determine kite selection and/or type of activity to consider and engage in:
1. wind type (instrument type)
2. temperature/sky (type of activity)
3. season/time of day (cue structures)
4. meditative qualities
Kite Choir was originally presented as part of Weather Permitting at the Venice Architecture Biennale as invited by the Iowa State University, College of Design. Firat’s Kite Choir has continued to develop extensively through numerous residencies he has conducted, and we are currently discussing further exhibition of the kite choir for August 2021.