Haroon Mirza: The Construction of an Act

HAROON MIRZA
born 1977 in London
lives and works in London

Copy of Pavilion for optimisation 2019
bespoke media device, LED tape, microphone, pvc bucket, water, water pump, hose,
showerhead, amp, horn speaker, mixer, ant farm
dimensions variable
Courtesy the artist

Haroon Mirza: The Construction of an Act has been conceived as a total experience, or ‘grand minimal gesture’ as the artist has described. Rather than a display of disparate works, the exhibition selectively brings existing artworks into dialogue with newly-commissioned moving-image, sound and performance pieces as well as ‘copies’ of early work reconfigured especially for this exhibition.

Copy of Pavilion for optimisation 2019 is a work that is spread across two unconnected gallery spaces. Here, the sound of water from a showerhead hitting a plastic bucket is heard as a natural sound. Picked up by the microphone and fed via an audio signal cable into another gallery, the sound is elsewhere heard amplified.

Copy of Pavilion for optimisation introduces audiences to ongoing concerns within Mirza’s practice relating to systems of belief in disciplines as far ranging as science, religion, politics, technology, mysticism and medicine. In this work, optimisation – a methodology used in science, mathematics and technology to maximise efficiency – is represented by the use of water and the movement of ants within a formicarium: two natural systems following optimal pathways, that have inspired new intelligent systems within computer science.

HAROON MIRZA
born 1977 in London
lives and works in London

Stimulate pineal function 2017
modified Marshall amp, LEDs, screen, bespoke media device
video: 6:53 mins
electrical signal: 1,000,000 seconds
Courtesy the artist and Lisson Gallery, London

In Stimulate pineal function 2017, Mirza assembles found footage, LED lighting and a modified Marshall amp to create a composition of electrical signal and video. The electrical signals make reference to pseudoscientific ideas that audio frequencies designed to stimulate the pineal gland may be of benefit to our to physical, psychological and spiritual health.

The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland found in the brain of most vertebrates. While its function is not fully understood, it is known to produce melatonin and serotonin – neurotransmitters that aid in the regulation of sleep and moods. It is also hypothesised to produce dimethyltryptamine – a powerful, naturally recurring psychedelic – thus making it a contender for the third eye. Attempts to stimulate the third eye, for spiritual and psychological reasons, have been practiced by many cultures throughout history; including in the use of tools such as Tibetan singing bowls, which feature here in footage found by the artist on the video-sharing platform YouTube.

HAROON MIRZA
born 1977 in London
lives and works in London

The construction of an act 2019
2-channel video and 8-channel electrical signals from the ‘Emerging Paradigm’ media
device, steel, LED tape, carpet, Google Home device
20:16 mins
Soprano: Sarah-Jane Lewis
Courtesy the artist

The construction of an act 2019 is a new work commissioned for this exhibition, spanning two gallery spaces and combining video footage and electrical signal. The video is a collage of several elements, including the artist as a monkey Animoji, speaking with a Google Home device about concepts of sound and healing; captured imagery of Mirza’s computer desktop, viewing YouTube videos about the pathological properties of psychedelics; and documentation of a session in the artist’s studio with British soprano Sarah-Jane Lewis, to which she sings responses to questions including ‘What is your warm up routine?’ and ‘Is there a sound that you make with your voice that gives you a calming and meditative feeling?’

The construction of an act reflects Mirza’s interest in immersive installations – composing light, sound and moving image, and arranging these elements in such a way as to impact physically upon the audience, as well as visually and acoustically. Therapeutic themes are explored through the lens of science, technology, mythology and spirituality, examining the potential of sound – and the voice in particular – to heal and transform, as well as simply to communicate or entertain. Mirza’s ongoing interests in notions of truth and belief are further expanded in this work by the artist’s use of artificial intelligence technology; provoking questions and concerns more pertinent than ever in our contemporary digital age.

HAROON MIRZA
born 1977 in London
lives and works in London

The construction of an act 2019
2-channel video and 8-channel electrical signals from the ‘Emerging Paradigm’ media
device, steel, LED tape, carpet, Google Home device
20:16 mins
Soprano: Sarah-Jane Lewis
Courtesy the artist

The construction of an act 2019 is a new work commissioned for this exhibition, spanning two gallery spaces and combining video footage and electrical signal. The video is a collage of several elements, including the artist as a monkey Animoji, speaking with a Google Home device about concepts of sound and healing; captured imagery of Mirza’s computer desktop, viewing YouTube videos about the pathological properties of psychedelics; and documentation of a session in the artist’s studio with British soprano Sarah-Jane Lewis, to which she sings responses to questions including ‘What is your warm up routine?’ and ‘Is there a sound that you make with your voice that gives you a calming and meditative feeling?’

The construction of an act reflects Mirza’s interest in immersive installations – composing light, sound and moving image, and arranging these elements in such a way as to impact physically upon the audience, as well as visually and acoustically. Therapeutic themes are explored through the lens of science, technology, mythology and spirituality, examining the potential of sound – and the voice in particular – to heal and transform, as well as simply to communicate or entertain. Mirza’s ongoing interests in notions of truth and belief are further expanded in this work by the artist’s use of artificial intelligence technology; provoking questions and concerns more pertinent than ever in our contemporary digital age.

HAROON MIRZA
born 1977 in London
lives and works in London

Stage 2019
modular synthesiser designed and produced by Tom Mclean and Carolin Schnurrer,
carpet tiles, copper, conductive bracelets
dimensions variable
Courtesy the artist

Since 2004, Mirza has operated a collaborative studio practice under the name hrm199 Ltd. – both as an opportunity to host resident artists, as well to blur the boundaries of authorial control. In the lead up to this exhibition, Mirza invited artist and instrument builder Carolin Schnurrer to undertake a residency with hrm199, to develop and produce her concept for an interactive synthesiser that could create sound through human touch. Working closely with fellow musician and hrm199’s technician, Tom Mclean, Schnurrer developed a modular synthesiser that will be used by composer James Rushford and choreographer Julie Cunningham in a one-off live performance in response to the exhibition.

Utilising carpet tiles removed from an accompanying installation, Mirza has designed a mode of display for the synthesiser that functions as scenography for this eventual performance; an interactive platform for the forging of bodies, space and sound.

HAROON MIRZA
born 1977 in London
lives and works in London

Step siren 2019
crash cymbal, amp, high-fidelity speakers, LED tape, amplifier, stepper motor, fabric
cable, compact fluorescent lamp, transistor radio, mixed electronics
133.5 x 43.5 x 43.5 cm
Courtesy the artist

Step siren 2019 revisits earlier works made by Mirza between 2010–13 and reflects the artist’s interest in mixed media sculptural assemblage, and an ongoing exploration into the potential of sound as a signal, call or invocation.

Here, a rotating compact fluorescent lamp, passing through a hole drilled into a symbol, interferes with a transistor radio to create a humming sound; making audible the electricity from The National Electricity Market – the electric power transmission network servicing eastern and southern Australian states and territories. This new version of the work includes a digital motor called a stepper motor whose distinct sound is also amplified.