Sonicity_Archeology of the Future

This project was carried out with my collaborators within the group D-Fuse. We were invited to submit a proposal for an ‘art event’ to be held in Ostienze Market, a district in the southern part of Rome. The market had been closed down and the local authority wished to redevelop it. The organisers of the event wished to hand the space over to artists to see how their interpretation of the space could suggest alternative use. Artists such as Achim Wollscheid, Justin Bennet and Janek Schaefer were also invited.

Our proposal focused on the history of Rome. This is an aspect of the city that it cannot ignore. The center of Rome is dominated by the remains of the Roman Empire. This history sits alongside contemporary Rome, but does not stifle it. The layers of Rome’s past are carved out, and it was this layering that became the focus of the proposal. The re-invent Ostienze, we needed to reveal the layers of the future.

To do this we filmed the disused market in a specific manner. By holding the camera vertically we followed [traced] the walls and structures of the existing buildings. This footage was then edited to into separate films that could be mixed at a live event. The Spanish musician Fibla, took the footage we created to develop a sound score which he would also play live. Our initial idea was to re-instate the flow of goods from delivery, to the warehouse’s, to the market place, all of which traverse the Tiber river, the main road south out of Rome and a railway line, in and out of Rome. The idea was used as a focal point for a lecture given to Architectural Students from the University of Rome.

Research Interests
Deciphering our understanding of the digital city; the city / urban landscape; the city’s temporal context and rhythm.
Profile
After eight years working with the co-operative arts group D-Fuse, focusing on web, video and DVD technology to produce installations and live events, Andrew Stiff was appointed to run the MA Digital Arts and MA Digital Arts Online courses at Camberwell College of Arts. He now works as an independent digital artist, using his experience of working within the Architectural environment to explore the multiplicities of perception in our built environment. He has shown video installations in Rome, Seoul and recently as part of the London Architecture Biennale.
Current Research - Artist Statement
"My work is concerned with developing a visual language of the intricacies implicit in our built environment. The surface of the city is the visible manifestation of our endeavour to formalise, expand and innovate within the spaces that we create. The surface also defines the relationship between the inhabitants and the city. This relationship is in continuous evolution, as technology manipulates the everyday patterns that have defined the city throughout the ages. The experience of the city is a temporal one, and I use moving image to reflect this experience. My work aims to explore the politics of the city, questioning the temporary nature of 'landmark' structures, where the constantly changing company nameplate plays a pivotal role, and the architectures lack of engagement with the culture of space." - Andrew Stiff

• http://blog.stiff97.co.uk
• http://www.dfuse.com
• http://www.madigitalarts.co.uk