Sonia Boyce (b. 1962, UK)
For you, only you, 2007

Manchester Art Gallery, UK / Visited 28/04/2018

This video work combines 15th century choral work with experimental vocal solo. Combination of something “very classical” with something “very anti-classical”. The opposites clash… in collaboration. There are differences, but there are also likenesses – and they do work together in a most interesting way. Impression is somewhat comic – surely, but more thought provoking and rather mesmerising.

My work with Artificial Intelligence Choir is also juggling classical with anti-classical even if very differently. I am taking something very novel – digital emulation of human voice – and try to make it do something very traditional – to sing. The result is something else – emulation is breaking down as it is not meant for this purpose, but singing as we know it is not happening either.

Those gaps and overlaps are always interesting for me.