Join multidisciplinary artist James Allister Sprang in deep listening—what he describes as a radical action that allows us to slow down, turn inward, and heal. Deep listening consciously brings awareness to the present moment while welcoming our bodies, our ancestors, our traumas, our pain, our longings, visions, and dreams.

A 40-minute soundscape of layered tape recordings and modulated synths, Aquifer of the Ducts is meant to be experienced with headphones in the comfort and safety of your home. This sonic quilt of looping vignettes culminates in a journey of accumulative departures and returns. Guided by Sprang, this live meditation offers a retreat.

Creator James Allister Sprang Vocals Start Busby Performance Shayla-Vie Jenkins Audio Engineer Brendan McGeehan Video excerpts of original artwork, “x-routes”, 2018 and “Tracing the Veer (stillness a pressure)”, 2019 DB Amorin

FringeArts is thrilled to include artists originally slated to present new works in our High Pressure Fire Service Festival this spring within the Fringe Festival this year. These artists were all faced with the unexpected consequences of COVID-19 that hit in the midst of rehearsal processes and just weeks away from premieres. In its wake there has been a complicated loss and grappling with how, why, and in what way to continue making work. Each artist has approached the opportunity to present work this fall differently–some crafting completely new pieces, others adapting materials and processes from their original plans for the spring–and all of them have crafted experiences that are timely, relevant, and poignant in the continued space of the pandemic. We are inspired by the ways these artists have adapted and continue to remind us of the importance of art as a means to contend with, reflect upon, and move through the world together. We hope you’ll engage with their work throughout the Fringe Festival and join us for the High Pressure Fire Service Talk with the cohort on Sunday, October 4 to talk about their unexpected transition, how they are grappling with the grief, and how they envision the future.

Showtimes

Name: Aquifer of the Ducts
Start: 2020-09-29T19:00:00-04:00
End: 2020-10-01T19:45:00-04:00
Location: Zoom

Tuesday, Sept 29 at 7pm Thursday, Oct 1 at 7pm

Pricing

Free with RSVP

Happy Hour on the Fringe

In this episode, Artistic Producer Zach Blackwood speaks with James Allister Sprang about Sprang’s upcoming performance, Aquifer of the Ducts, which will run in this fall’s Fringe Festival. During performances, Sprang will guide listeners through a soundscape composed of field recordings and synthesizers. Blackwood and Sprang anticipate this performance in the context of a digital festival, and discuss how Aquifer of the Ducts will allow for a shared experience through a digital platform. Sprang describes his creative process of walking around the world with his Panasonic cassette tape player, and how for him this interaction with sound allows him to be more present in “the moment that just passed.”

About the Artist

Photo by Jauhien Sasnou | Picturebox Creative

James Allister Sprang (Lead Artist/Performer) is a first-generation Caribbean-American who works across mediums to investigate poetics, performance, gesture, and the ways in which they are documented. This work is informed by the black radical tradition. Sprang has read, shown, or performed at institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Apollo Theater, Abrons Arts Center, the Brooklyn Museum, The Public Theater, David Nolan Gallery, AUTOMAT Gallery, Vox Populi, Baryshnikov Arts Center, Emerson-Dorsch Gallery, FringeArts, Knockdown Center, and The Kitchen.

Supporters

Produced in association with Lingua Franca Arts.

James Allister Sprang developed material for Aquifer of the Ducts through the Camp Fringe residency supported by Independence Foundation and with support from The Painted Bride Art Center’s Building Bridges: Artists on the Rise residency program.

Festival Producer: Robert M. Dever