Fragile Perspectives

2021/22 | 5-channel sound installation

glass, metal, 5 speakers, electronics, A.I., news data, sonification

What do news landscapes look like and sound? And how can we transform them into tangible objects to see clusters of over-reporting or hear missing voices in under-reported topics? A new artwork called Fragile Perspectives was developed to explore news coverage clustering themes reported across news outlets. Based on the very large news information set generated to explore creative angles and voices in news, new tangible objects of news landscapes were produced by clustering 10000s of individual news articles into 300 dimensions, then reducing these dimensions to 3-dimensional maps. These 3-dimensional maps were then manufactured as glass objects and digitally scanned to excite virtual strings to produce the sound using a data sonification method based on physical modelling sound synthesis.

Artwork, concept, programming, sound-design by Antoni Rayzhekov; Data collaboration: JECT.AI - Neil Maiden, Konstantinos Zachos; curator: Claudia Schnugg; Project production management at Grand Garage: Franz Gregor Dörfler; 3D Department at Grand Garage: Michael Eckl, Stefan Eder, Paul Kößler; 3D modeling: Dimiter Ovtcharov; Glass creation / Metal work: Günther Mausz, Thomas Aschenbrenner; Tatjana Schinko, Benjamin Bergmann, Max Meindl

THE EVASIVE CHOIR

2021 | 30-channel sound installation

30 found interviews of Bulgarian politicans, 30 tin-cans, 30 speakers, 30 modified note-stands, electronics; variable dimensions

The sound installation “The Evasive Choir” creates a kind of “a chorus of the muffled”, which covers an important period in the recent past of Bulgaria. 30 open tincans contain speakers that reproduce processed interviews of key figures from the political and public life in Bulgaria since 1989. The interviews were digitally processed, removing the spoken words and leaving only the exclamations, the sighs, the inarticulate sounds of discomfort or those suggesting silence. All voices sound at the same time, keeping the length of the conversation - with the interlocutor, with each other, and with the audience in the exhibition

The work simultaneously archives and exposes the process of passing over in silence thus setting it as one of the possible reasons for the condition of society, as well as a metaphor for the inherited silence, atrophied public media and the difficulty of democratic processes happening without overcoming such a specific kind of “national silence”.

Vernissage: Mar 5, 2021 – Apr 21, 2021 @ ICA Sofia
Curator(s): Kalin Serapionov and Krassimir Terziev

The exhibition is part of the 2021 annual international program of ICA-Sofia entitled "Superpositions". Photos by Rayna Teneva

#BIOCOIN: Bulgarian Lev

2021 | Interactive sound installation

8 glass petri-dishes, coins of 0.5 lev and 1lev, banknotes of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 lev, epoxy, stainless steel, aluminium frame, built-in all-in-one computer, stereo speakers, amplifier, microcontroller, 8 potentiometers, custom software; dimensions: 120х60х11cm

In 2021 the project was awarded with a stipendium by the Bulgarian National Cultural Fund (NCF) within the program “Creative Initiatives” and the creation of the interactive sound installation #BIOCOIN begun by using bulgarian coins and banknotes in collaboration with mag. biologist Ava Cherkez and eng. Petia Logar from the team of DIACHIM Sofia.
The project #BIOCOIN examines critically the notion of value, transferring it into the realm of the biological and then the sonic domains in order to suggest a different perspective towards the distribution and the circulation of money. In doing so, it proposes an alternative notion of a “sonic” value.

Vernissage: 4 - 28 March 2021 a group exhibition "Occurrences of Abundance” @ Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art currated by Günther Seyfried (Austria) & Martina Yordanova (Bulgaria) - National Gallery, Bulgaria. Photos by Boryana Pandova.

PANDEMIC SOUND MAP

2020 | interactive sound installation

COVID19 statistical data, steel, aluminium frame, 186 circuit breakers, electronics, speakers, custom software; dimensions: 200x100x10cm

The interactive sound installation “PANDEMIC SOUND MAP” transforms the statistical data on the spread of the SARS COVID-19 virus into sound, by means of sonication process based on the number of infected per day per country. On a metal political map of the world, 186 switches are located in the center of each country. The installation allows any number of countries to be "switched on" or "switched off" interactively in one common sound picture. This sound representation provides a new perspective on the pandemic, with the expressive means of sound art and digital technologies, reflecting the different approaches to controlling the pandemic, its scale, distribution and current state. The installation is an artistic metaphor for the impact of the pandemic crisis in political, social and cultural aspects, which, as a circuit breaker, almost "switched off" the world economy.

The project was part of the group exhibition "ART AND POLITICS – CONFRONTATIONS AND COEXISTENCE" curated by Maria Vassileva, including works by Otto Dix, Hannah Höch, Joseph Beuys, Günther Uecker, Gerhard Richter, Antoni Rayzhekov and was funded by the DA LAB Foundation, Goethe Institute-Bulgarien and supported by Structura Gallery Sofia
Exhibition opening: 27 Oct 2020 - 9 Dec 2020 @ Structura gallery, Sofia / Bulgaria

#BIOCOIN (ORGANIC OSCILLATORS Series)

Music of bacteria colonies grown from money

2018 | interactive audiovisual installation and performance

#BIOCOIN is an interdisciplinary project exploring the sonic properties of bacteria found on money. #BIOCOIN is an audiovisual installation and a performative instrument that transforms, in real-time bacteria colonies in petri-dishes grown from coins and banknotes into music. The installation performs through a technique called sonification or auditory display— a process and a methodology of translating digital data into sound.

The project is created by Antoni Rayzhekov in collaboration with the micro-biologist Tanja Machuer (Robert Bosch Research Institute, Renningen, DE), Hagen Betzwieser - camera & photography, Lisa Przioda - Coordination (Robert Bosch GmbH), Sophie-Charlotte Thieroff - Coordination (Akademie Schloss Solitude) within the Art&Science and Business residency "PLATFORM12" - a fellowship program and an art residency by Akademie Schloss Solitude (Stuttgart,DE), Robert Bosch GmbH and Wimmelforshung (Berlin, DE) in 2018.

Première: 09/06/2018 @ Symposium "Rethinking Affordances" currated by Ashley Scarlett & Martin Zeilinger - Akademie Schloss Solitude - Stuttgart, Germany

#BIOCOIN: Solo (ORGANIC OSCILLATORS Series)

for living bacteria found on money

2018 | interactive audiovisual installation and performance

#BIOCOIN:SOLO is an audiovisual installation and a performative instrument transforming, in real-time, living bacteria grown from coins and banknotes, into sound by using computer vision and sound synthesis. The installation performs through a technique called sonification or auditory display — a process and a methodology of translating digital data into sound.

The project is created by Antoni Rayzhekov in collaboration with the micro-biologist Tanja Machuer (Robert Bosch Research Institute, Renningen, DE) and Dimiter Ovtcharov - 3D modeling & sculpture production, Hagen Betzwieser - camera & photography, Lisa Przioda - Coordination (Robert Bosch GmbH), Sophie-Charlotte Thieroff - Coordination (Akademie Schloss Solitude) within the Art&Science and Business residency "PLATFORM12" - a fellowship program and an art residency by Akademie Schloss Solitude (Stuttgart, DE), Robert Bosch GmbH and Wimmelforshung (Berlin, DE) in 2018.

Première: 09/06/2018 @ Symposium "Rethinking Affordances" currated by Ashley Scarlett & Martin Zeilinger - Akademie Schloss Solitude - Stuttgart, Germany

Tissues (ORGANIC OSCILLATORS Series)

for Heart, Brain, Lungs, Skin Cells and Modified Microscope

2018 | interactive audiovisual installation and performance

How do heart cells differ in sound compared to brain-cells or lung from skin cells?

The audio-visual installation - Organic Oscillators - created by Antoni Rayzhekov in collaboration with Dimiter Ovtcharov - 3D modeling & sculpture production, is attempting to reveal through sound the underlying relationships between cells and compare different tissues by sonifing the cellular structures and patterns. This is done with advanced microscopic imagery, computer-vision and sound-synthesis. The installation enables one to examine and sonify an image seen from a microscope in real-time.

Associated Researchers: Ina Attree, Philippe Huber, Stéphanie Bouillot – Biosciences and Biotechnology Institute of Grenoble, CEA-Grenoble France Project partners Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart Germany — Land Salzburg, Austria — Atelier Arts Sciences, Grenoble — CEA — Hexagone Scène Nationale Arts Sciences, Meylan — FabLab — La Casemate – Grenoble.

Exhibition opening: 01-10/02/2018 - EXPERIMENTA, Arts Sciences Biennale, Grenoble / France; (see booklet)

TOPOLOGY OF THE SONIC BODY

Duet for body and scanner feat. Federica Dauri

2017 | Audiovisual Performance-Installation / video-installation (2016)

"Topology of the sonic body" is an audio-visual body-installation performance, investigating the sonic properties of the performing body and its curvature in space through sound.
"The Sonic Body" - Interview with Federica Dauri & Antoni Rayzhekov — Sep 19, 2017 at Schloss-post

Première: 23/09/2017 @ Digital Arts Festival - National Academy of Arts - Sofia, Bulgaria

THESECRETCORNER.NET

after Johannes Cladder's The Secrect Corner (1984)

2017 | net-art

The Secret Corner online is a project by Antoni Rayzhekov and Jean-Baptiste Joly with the participation of Hagen Betzwieser (camera interviews) according to an idea by Jacques Caumont. Online from September 14, 2017.

Exhibition opening: 14/09/2017 - Akademie Schloss Solitude, Germany / Internet

THE PINZGAU ETUDE (ORGANIC OSCILLATORS Series)

for Cheese and Modified Microscope

2017 | video of live performance

An old microscope is transformed into an audiovisual instrument, revealing the hidden structures of the special PINZGAU cheese, being read as a musical score. The project explores the relation between structure and chaos as a score.

Public presentation: 09/09/2017 @ Ortung Sthulfelden, Austria

RE_SONANCE

for extended piano and performer

2016 | Performance

The piece RE_SONANCE was written during the residency at Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart in 2016 as an attempt to explore my idiosyncratic way of playing piano. The research continued in 2017 within the Artist-in-Residence program of SubNET and Center for Human-Computer Interaction at University of Salzburg as a research in Biologically-Augmented Audiovisual instruments.

More in the Interview: Biologically-Augmented Piano @ SchlossPost

Première: 24/06/2016 @ Sommerfest - Akademie Schloss Solitude - Stuttgart, Germany

Photo by Judith Engel

SOMAPHONY

solo for stressed performer
feat. Katharina Koeller

2016 | Audiovisual Composition

SOMAPHONY is a project commissioned by Intel in 2016, resulted in an audiovisual composition that can be played as an instrument and is embodied in a physical object representing the interface to the composition itself. The interface is named - SOMAPHONE - a device integrating generative music and visualization technology in one combined audio-visual instrument. It uses biofeedback, such as heart-rate, Galvanic Skin Response, movement and gestures as a natural and expressive interaction between the composition and the performer. more...
Team: Katharina Koeller, Antoni Rayzhekov, Dimiter Ovtcharov, Niki Malinov
Première: MusicTechFest 2016 - Berlin, Germany

10VE

for Two Amplified Bodies and Surveilled Audience

2014/2015 | Audiovisual Performance-Installation

feat. Antoni Rayzhekov & Katharina Koeller @ Theater Spielraum, Vienna - Festival KulturHerbst

"10VE" is an audiovisual performance installation investigating on the relationship between surveillance and private space by interconnecting performers and audience using motion tracking, sonification of biofeedback and movement. more...

Première: 24-26/09/2014 @ Old City Prison - ATALAIA Artes Performativas - Ourique, Portigal
"Content Award 2015" category "Sound & Vision" - Vienna, Austria

Photo by Dimiter Ovtcharov

10VE:SEQUENCE FOR TWO

for Two Amplified Bodies

feat. Antoni Rayzhekov & Katharina Koeller

2014 | Performance / Video Installation

10VE:SEQUENCE FOR TWO is a duet for two amplified bodies equipped with wireless biofeedback and movement devices, measuring the performers heart-rate, stress-level, breath and movement. The synchronizations and correlations of the signals generate a musical representation of the occurring processes between their bodies.

ATALAIA Artes - Artist In Residence
Duration: 3:50", format: HD Video, filmed 2014 at Cineteatro, Ourique - Portugal

2016.04 Athens Biennale - Transmission Art Festival - Athens, Greece
2016.01 Athens Video Dance Project 2016 - Athens, Greece

ALTERATION

Duet for Step-Dancer and Chello-Plate
feat. WOOGURU

2014 | Audiovisual Performance

A reactive audio-visual environment is acting as a performative instrument and a partner. An examination of the emerging creative digital behaviours as a part of nature. The project is an investigation on how to co-exist in such new environments by researching on new choreographic strategies emerging from it. In collaboration with WOOGURU
Theater Spielraum - Vienna, Austria

Première: ALL THAT's JAZZ Festival - curated by Moving Poets at Kunst am Spreeknie - Schöneweide Art Festival
Novilla Art Space - Berlin, Germany

Self_Assembling_Sym_Phony

for Confused Audiovisual Machine

2014 | Audiovisual Installation

Self_Assembling_Sym_Phony is a participatory generative audio-visual composition, physically embodied as a 3D projection mapping audio-visual installation of a self assembling musical piece.

White Room @ Kunstraum Pro Arte Hallein, Austria
11 September - 04 October 2014
Group Exhibition: Schnittschtelle 2014 - Selbstassemblierung

Black Room @ Schmiede Festival, Hallein Austria
11. – 21. SEPTEMBER 2014, Alten Salzfabrik - Perner Insel - Hallein, Austria

MOTHERBOX

2013/2014 | Audiovisual Installation

Concept, Music & Animation by Antoni Rayzhekov

MOTHERBOX is series of site-specific audiovisual installations representing
"gates" or glitches between the digital and the physical reality.

Falmouth City Library 3D model by John Lee [2014]
Dungeon 3D model by Emanuel Andel & Antoni Rayzhekov [2013]

.circle

Audio visual concert for Harp & Hang, SpaceTime Helix and Reactive Visuals

2014 | Audiovisual Performance

An experiment between Martina Stock & Christian Schratt, Michela Pelusio and Antoni Rayzhekov - produced at Schmiede "RETURN" 2013 Hallein - Austria

Photo by Jannik Weylandt

Pan::Ik

2013 | Audiovisual Performance

A study in motion-tracking, generative visual and sonic material, developed in collaboration with Federica Dauri and Alberto Novello, during our residencies at STEIM & DansMakers 2013 in Amsterdam - The Netherlands

Epi::Akten

2013 | Performance

Epi::Akten is a performance-study in real-time motion-tracking & sonification of body movement with Federica Dauri and Alberto Novello, during our residency at Trasformatorio Zero in Montalbano Castle, Sicily - Italy, including a participation at T.Off festival for contemporary dance in Cagliari, Sardinia - Italy in 2013.

Wasserturm

Ciference Symphony & This.Play

2013 | Media enhanced acoustic performance

Collaboration with Martina Stock, Christian Schratt and This.Play
a.k.a Antoni Rayzhekov & Emanuel Andel

Watertower in Vienna - Austria

People Move People

collaboration with Martina Stock

2013 | Participatory Audiovisual Installation

Collaboration with Martina Stock presented at "Lange Nacht der Museen" 2013
Stadtgalerie Salzburg - Austria

Quantum Picture III

2013 | Participatory Audiovisual Installation

Showcase of Fascinate Conference 2013 - Falmouth - UK
Open rehearsal with Sara de Santis

Quantum Picture II

2013 | Participatory Audiovisual Installation

Trasformatorio Zero
Montalbano Castle, Sicily - Italy

Quantum Picture I

2012 | Participatory Audiovisual Installation

Quantum Picture series is a performative audio-visual installation sensitive to movement. An image is being constantly processed based on the viewer's movement by using computer vision and image analysis. The process is irreversible, the original is lost and one can see only fragments of the initial image and sounds remained from the last visitor. The quantum state of the installation is being altered in the process of observation. The project is inspired by the principals of quantum mechanics and quantum measurement.

Q202, Vienna - Austria

ECOSMOSIS

2012 | Audio-visual interactive environment

collaboration with M. Benayoun / L. Stergiou / E. Andel

By Maurice Benayoun in cooperation with This.Play a.k.a Antoni Rayzhekov and Emanuel Andel, curated by Lina Stergiou at Hellenic Cosmos Cultural Center 2012 in Athens - Greece

Photo by Maurice Benayoun

Virtual Insanity

2011/2012 | Visual-active dance theatre

Flowmotion Dance Company / M. Zeplichal / A. Rayzhekov / E. Andel

A project by Flowmotion Dance Company, generative animation by Martin Zeplichal, motion tracking by This.Play a.k.a Antoni Rayzhekov and Emanuel Andel

DSCHUNGEL theater 2011/2012 in Vienna - Austria

HYPERCUBE v0.1a

2012 | Re-Active Audiovisual Performance

Experiment with interactive visualisations, motion tracking and generative sound with This.Play a.k.a Antoni Rayzhekov & Emanuel Andel, Mathias Husinsky and Andreas 'Muk' Haider

Schmiede "Zero"

Hallein - Austria

RETURN

2009 | Site-specific stream-theatre performance

based on Harold Pinter's texts, director Antoni Rayzhekov

Site-spacific stream-theater performance based on Harold Pinter's texts with Bilyana Kazakova, Peter Peykov and Janet Yovcheva at A:part:mental 2009 in Sofia, Bulgaria

Photo by Yovko Lambrev

KRAPP

2008/2009 | Theater performance

based on Samuel Beckett's "Krapp's last tape" with Naum Shopov
director Antoni Rayzhekov

KRAPP is a theatre performance based on Samuel Beckett's text "KRAPP`s last tape" monodrama with Naum Shopov
staging: Naum Shopov
director and music: Antoni Rayzhekov
stage design:Elena Ivanova
voices: Valentin Ganev, Hristo Cheshmedjiev

The National Theater "Ivan Vazov", Sofia - Bulgaria

NIGHTSONGS

2005/2006 | Site-specific Theater Performance

by Jon Fosse, director Peter Stoyschev

Site specific theater performance based on Jon Fosse's play.
Director Peter Stoyschev, with Vesela Kazakova, Antoni Rayzhekov and Bojidar Popchev
Music by Antoni Rayzhekov and Vesela Kazakova

Hambara 2005/2006 in Sofia, Bulgaria

Photo by Yovko Lambrev / Rumen Vassilev