Umwelt — soundscape and movement installation

Saturday, November 23, Open between 1:30-4:30 pm @ HAIBAYÔ, 1132 W Argyle St., Chicago, IL

Join us for a project launch of Umwelt by Mark Alcazar Diaz. Umwelt presents an auditory journey through the alleyways of Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. Delve into an intricate urban ecology of sounds that define these corridors.

Through meticulous field recordings captured with a binaural microphone, Umwelt unveils the nuanced sonic landscapes of each alley, offering a glimpse into the unseen rhythms of daily life. From the rhythmic clatter of ventilation systems echoing against brick walls to the distant hum of traffic permeating the air, each sound serves as a thread weaving together the fabric of this urban environment.

During this launch event, visitors activate the mapped recordings through overlapping sound stations. Kinetic philosopher and dancer Ayako Kato will respond to the chance interactions throughout the afternoon. The launch event takes place HAIBAYÔ at 1132 W Argyle St on Saturday, November 23 from 1:30-4:30 PM – and the field recordings are accessible through the site 24/7.

Visit mark-a-diaz-umwelt.com to experience this work online. The site is intended for desktop or laptop interface. Headsets are recommended. Umwelt is a part of Navigations, a series of artist projects in and about public space.

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Mark Alcazar Diaz is an artist, curator, educator, and arts administrator. He works with various media, including video, drawing, and object making to examine migration, memory of place, and natureculture. Related to his interest in exploring the pedagogy of sites and objects, Diaz facilitates workshops for teachers, artists, and non-artists to collaborate and explore the intersection of making and learning.

Ayako Kato is a contemporary choreographer and dancer originally from Yokohama, Japan. Kato's dance seeks the way of being in relation to nature and illuminates the dignity of life in response to contemporary society. Kato has been awarded a United States Artist Fellowship, Sybil Shearer Fellowship at Ragdale, and Illinois Arts Council Artist Fellowship, among others.

HAIBAYÔ is a creative initiative that aims to energize the historic Asia on Argyle corridor through innovative cross-cultural, multi-generational collaborations.

Roman Susan celebrates and shares the work of artists in the Great Lakes region. We create cultural engagements that provide resources and paid opportunities for artists. We are Chicago-based. We are artist-led. We are experimental and learning. More details at romansusan.org.