The building of a new rail link on Mercury Lane has been experienced acutely by the artists of the Tardigrade World studio whose creative lives have become entwined with the vibration and noise of the construction project. From their position on Cross Street, Tardigrade World have had an ideal view of the process and have recorded examples of the sounds emanating from the noisy construction site.
Why up-cycle noise?
Our city is upsizing with immigrants and visitors, however our buildings and houses are not quite soundproof and are far from ideal for dense populations. Our public transport is up-scaling but what about our tolerance for noise? Are we ready for Auckland to become a city like Hong Kong, for example? This work is an expression on how we can tolerate the noise of growth as we head toward a new situation.
– Tardigrade World
Artist Statement:
I call, complain, and record when I hear noise that comes from the neighbourhood, construction site as well as other sources that somehow comes through the chorus of life. As this practice started in ancient times, while trying to draw the line between noise and other types of sound, I have been successfully adopted by being in the zone of a construction site near K’rd. As a creative person, I have problems doing this work properly, in the way of making my mind stuck in the abstract field of feeling annoyed and feeling like urgently transferring this material into something interesting.
Thankfully, my mind in the battle ground of noise and coming up with new ideas could still stay relatively calm. Just like we don’t know if the cat is dead or not in the abstract box but at least we know the cat should exist for the sake of the experiment. I think the noise drags me into a dimension that makes me feel like I have stronger obligations on creating something with it. No matter who wins in this battle, my mind will get a proper stretch from this experiment which could go on indefinitely.
Thus this practice is inspired by the noise from the construction work of the k’rd train station, which the vibration that made the cups on the shelf in the studio shakes with this bell-like sound, which also rings a creative bell in my mind that everything could be twisted with my creative ability.
By Artist Statement 101
– Tardigrade World
Opens: Wednesday 4 November, 5.30pm (with refreshments from Liberty Brewing Company)
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12 – 4pm
Closes: Saturday 28 November