Th'luria

a site-responsive two-channel audio installation

Th’luria is created using the rhythms, inflections and vitality of Voice from original sound recordings made by Leona of seven individuals talking about themselves as women and artists.  Each woman becomes an impressionistic sound-portrait formed from her own words, reflecting a central notion of themselves.

Speaking is only part of the equation, though.  Listening – hearing with intent - is demanded from another when speech wants to be heard.  Siting the installation in a space usually used for chatting over coffee added other layers to these personal disclosures.

During the individual interviews, each woman expressed the difficulty of verbalising complex and personal thoughts, struggling with the ongoing problems of making themselves heard as women and artists through the surrounding ever-present cacophonies and censorships of inner and outer worlds.  Whilst necessarily taking editorial control over how the voices were presented in order to form the work, Leona was concerned with how to still allow the women to speak for themselves.  Acknowledging a fragmented world opened up the possibilities of examining William Burroughs ‘word-virus’ notion, while still allowing each individual voice to express part of what was important to the speaker’s identity.

installation images

listen to a short extract from Th'luria, featuring the voice of Adeola Dewis           listen on headphones or external speakers if possible

Th’luria was created for the Concentric 2016 exhibition in West Wharf Gallery, Cardiff.  Concentric comprises a group of women artists based in South Wales who once a year make their mark together for International Women’s Day.  Voices are those of Jacqueline Alkema, Adeola Dewis, Zoe Gingell, Penny Hallas, Sheila Vyas, Tessa Waite and Leona.

In 2019 Th'luria was selected from an international open call to be broadcast on Radiophrenia, the annual temporary art radio station dedicated to current trends in sound and transmission arts.

Transmitting live for two weeks round the clock from Glasgow’s Centre for Contemporary Arts, the station aims to promote radio as an art form, encouraging challenging and radical new approaches to the medium.  Leona submitted a slightly shortened version of 30 minutes to fit into the broadcasting slot offered.