Sonia Boyce

Born 1962 in London / Lives and works in London

Sonia Boyce is an artist, author, cultural anthropologist, art theorist and social activist. Given her Afro-Caribbean roots, she co-directed the African and Asian Visual Artists Archive at the East London University. British historians recognized her book Shades of black: Assembling Black Arts in 1980s Britain  the best art research of the year 2007. 

Sonia Boyce's early projects sought to look into the stereotyped views on race. She analyzed the ways in which they formed and circulated in the Media. Exploring cultural differences and manner of their articulation in society, the artist repeatedly turned to improvisational collaborations, which involved the audience.

“For you, just for you”

2007

3-channel video installation

The video installation For You Only You  once again addresses the key issues of Boyce's art— that of communication and dialogue between people. And again the artist involves outsiders in her artistic process, this time they are musicians. One among them, Mikhail Karikis, acclaimed master of vocal performance, describes their joint action as follows: 'The soloist's attempts to find a way to call out and communicate with the master. He clears his throat and attempts to vocalise; he holds his breath, coughs and stutters. The choir's response to his struggle is the serene introductory phrases of Josquin Desprez's Tu solus qui facis mirabilia... In the middle of the piece the choir has a solo that shows off the faster and harmonically complex parts of Tu solus. These are further layered to create a sense of density that allows for no additional vocal intervention by the singular voice. Instead, the singer listens until the choir reaches stillness with a sustained chord after which he begins a solo which consists of bundles of words, overtone singing, extended vocal techniques and an insistent whispered provocation which he directs toward the choir: Sing to me, sing to me, sing to me. In the final section of the work the choir sings fragments of sounds that are loosely organized according to the parts of the body and the resonating cavities where they are produced and reverberate... The work climaxes with the choir and the soloist bringing their different themes together in a lively repetition of a celebratory chorus.'

«For You, Only You» (2007) «For You, Only You» (2007) «For You, Only You» (2007) «For You, Only You» (2007)