Egyptian artist Magdi Mostafa's interactive environment for the 2018 Dakar Biennial of Contemporary African Art turns the sounds of analog technology into a vibrating aesthetic force. Acting like tiny radio receivers, his handmade electronics make audible the otherwise silent electro-magnetic fields emanating from today’s myriad digital devices. He exposes the reverberations of energy emission and loss in our battery powered, wi-fi connected contemporary communications.
In “Transmission Loss,” electronic residue becomes the main signal—the core source of energy for an audio playscape. Mostafa invites us to turn a field of full frequency noise into a sonic composition. By tweaking the dials of tone generators and manipulating vibrating devices, we can alter sounds, discover patterns and explore the mysterious interactions of feedback and inter-device communication.
Sound Editor: Jonathan Pfeffer | Special Audio and Photos courtesy Magdi Mostafa
Related Episodes:
Samson Young Presents Hong Kong Mixtape:
http://www.freshartinternational.com/2018/07/23/samson-young-presents-hong-kong-mixtape/
Stephen Vitiello:
http://www.freshartinternational.com/2013/09/12/fresh-talk-stephen-vitiello
Live from Dak'Art 2018:
http://www.freshartinternational.com/2018/05/21/live-from-dakar-2018/
Related Links:
Magdi Mostafa - http://www.magdimostafa.com/Transmission-Loss.aspx
Dak'Art 2018 - http://biennaledakar.org/dakart-2018/
