Protest Engraving, Christophe Fellay and Superimposition, Polisonum

PROGRAM
6.30 pm: Performance Protest Engraving by Christophe Fellay meeting at Walcheturm
7.00 pm: Temporary video-installation SUPERIMPOSITION by Polisonum 
7.20 pm: Round table and discussion with the artists Polisonum and Christopher Fellay and curators 
8.00 pm: Drink at Walcheturm! 

Address:
Zeughausareal / Meeting point: Walcheturm Kunstraum, Kasernenareal CH-8004 Zurich  
Curated by Francesca Ceccherini, Zaira Oram 

Protest Engraving is an artistic performance which fluctuates between the scientific discipline of sound archaeology and fiction. Starting from the idea that sound leaves traces of its interaction with the material, Christophe Fellay proposes to overwrite the sonic memory of the Zeughausareal military past with messages of peace. Using the natural phenomenon of sound erosion, an amplified drum set will echo the slogans chanted by peace activists during a protest gathering Israeli Jews and Palestinian Israelis calling for an end to the war in Gaza in January 2024. The use of such a hybrid instrument mixing cultural and musical elements from four continents raises the question of togetherness, chosen and forced migrations, and a reflection on our status of perpetual migrants. Inspired by the common use of drums in the struggle for social change to attract attention and punctuate messages, Christophe will “hijack” military drum calls – the music signals played to transmit orders to the soldiers – to create signals for change. Using microphone and amplification, he will engrave the result on the armoury. During the performance, existing military sounds on the surfaces of the architecture will be overwrote by sonic and rhythmic punctuation of anti-war messages engraved in situ and left behind as permanent traces in what must be understood as a screaming silent sound installation calling for necessary transformation. 

SUPERIMPOSITION is an artistic project by Polisonum that investigates the theme of listening and takes shape through the encounter of multiple disciplinary fields including sound, data analysis, fashion and visual arts. SUPERIMPOSITION explores the concept of earworms, namely all those sound agents that coercively graft themselves into the brain to become parasites and provoke cognitive control mechanisms. The project consists of a performative act, a video work and a sound piece which will be presented through a temporary installation at Kunstraum Walcheturm (Zurich) in cooperation with OTO SOUND MUSEUM. This will be followed by a round table and discussion with the artists, curators Francesca Ceccherini, Anastasia Chaguidouline, Irene Grillo (Alte Fabrik, Rapperswil) and Patrick Huber. SUPERIMPOSITION is supported by the Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity of the Italian Ministry of Culture under the Italian Council program (2023).