This fourth installment of 8x8 brings together eight visual artists and eight performing artists based in Hawaiʻi to create new work inspired by their encounters with Shangri La. Sparking a generative force to this year's exhibition, the theme “source” has been interpreted by these artists to produce commentaries on topics ranging from sustainability and ancestry to rising and return.
The exhibition features eight performance artist videos, illustrating a rich tapestry of perspectives and interpretations, offering insights into the nuanced history, diverse collection, unique environment, and intricate complexities of both Shangri La and Hawaiʻi.
Nick Kurosawa | "The Door"
The Door reflects a younger version of myself, exploring questions I had harbored since that time. I swam at Cromwell's all throughout my childhood and have always wondered where the black doors of Shangri La led. It was quite an experience finally getting to be on the other side of that door. This song is about the transition from longing to knowing and the disparity that can exist between the two, or lack thereof. Being at that swimming spot and seeing those doors connected to an obviously lavish house turned museum, I would fantasize and wonder if there was a dungeon on the other side, or simply a bathroom; since ironically kids would often relieve themselves in the naupaka surrounding the door.
The audio for this song was captured in the marble bath area of the Mughal Gallery. All the tracks were created “dry” or without effects and were projected into the room using the rooms acoustics to “effect” the tracks. In essence the room was the instrument. As listeners we often actively think about the instruments and the sounds they make during songs. A question I always ask, now having made music myself is, what room is it in? We know it is a piano or a voice making noise in a song but where is it being played? How big is the room? These psychoacoustic questions really excite me, and I hope this song can demonstrate the power of that phenomenon.
Song production and engineering : Nick Kurosawa, Sam Willis, Andrew Garma
Mixing and mastering: Andrew Garma
Signal chain provided by the Mughal Gallery at Shangri La Museum
Learn more about Shangri La and the 8x8: Source exhibition at: www.shangrilahawaii.org/
and @hi_shangrila
12 янв 2024
