HCL Premiere | agua viva

Doors at 6:00pm
Performance at 7:00pm
Estimated Duration: 30 minutes

agua viva draws inspiration from the natural flow of water, starting with an exploration of amplified water sounds and the sonic possibilities of the human body. This creates a rich soundscape, fostering a dynamic, horizontal conversation between the performers and immersing the audience in an aquatic dreamscape.

Throughout the performance, the improvisational movements and sound gestures of the performers are translated into immersive visualizations. These visuals undergo a transformative journey, evolving from abstract particles to shadows and shimmering lights. This dynamic interplay between sound and visuals creates a seamless experience, tracing the performers’ movements and triggering the accompanying sounds.

agua viva is a collective performance by Elise Butterfield, Sofía Gabriel, Anna Johnson, Jonty Paul, and Veronica Anne Salinas that weaves together sound, movement, and live video processing. This premiere was developed as part of Sofía Gabriel’s 2023-2024 residency with HCL.

Warning: This performance utilizes strobe lighting.

About the Artists

Sofía Gabriel believes in the force of collectivity for change. Formally trained in dance, she uses the liminality and freedom of performance to explore the relationships between movement, language and politics. Her current practice uses facilitation, performance, organizing, and curation as tools for feminist resistance.

Jonty Paul is from Kolkata, India, and is pursuing a PhD in Physics at the University of Chicago. Jonty explores various forms of visual arts. He has worked extensively on documentary films as a cinematographer and has served as a visual manager of bands. Currently, he enjoys experimenting with new technologies, creating visual projects in virtual reality, and live interactive experiences using stereoscopic techniques.

Elise Butterfield is a mover, curator, and arts administrator. All of her work is informed by her commitment to live arts, accessibility, collaboration, and meaningful engagement between artists and audiences.

Anna Johnson is a Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist whose sound practice explores the materials of voice, synthesizer and electronic processing in order to render embodied auditory landscapes. She draws from her backgrounds in Western classical, traditional and devotional choral musics and engages improvisation, drone-based minimalism and layered repetition in pursuit of altered states of consciousness. She seeks to bring her audiences into a space of curiosity and active attention that requires full sensory participation and presence.
Accessibility Information

To learn more about the accessibility of our studio, please review our Access Information. For any other questions or requests regarding accessibility, please contact Angee Lennard, HCL’s Accessibility Coordinator, at angee@highconceptlabs.org or 312-374-1117.

Official Website

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Tags: agua viva, Angee Lennard, Anna Johnson, Chicago, Elise Butterfield, High Concept Labs, Jonty Paul, Lower West Side, Sofía Gabriel, Veronica Anne Salinas