Say What You See

On Saturday 7th May, ten performers visited ten different spots across Bristol and with a dictaphone recorded everything they could see, eveywhere they walked and everyone they encountered for Prayers. All ten recordings are now up on Dora Garcia's website to listen to and download, providing a beautiful snapshot of this diverse and bustling city.

Here is an example of just one of the recorded tracks which listens to a woman describing her journey on a ferry in Bristol's Floating Harbour:

To have a listen to the other 9 tracks which were recorded under the M32 underpass, North Street (Bedminster), in St Nick's Market and Cabot Circus, St Pauls, St Werburghs, The Downs, inside The Canteen on Stokes Croft, aboard bus route 36 to Withywood and finally on Park Street, just follow the link here.

A Unique Incite into Bristol as it Exists Today

On May 7th 2011, from 9am to 8pm, ten performers will be placed in ten different spots across the city of Bristol to incessantly describe everything they see and hear; this incessant description, recited like a prayer, is individually recorded by each performer to create a 45minute long audio archive, collectively called Prayers.

The recited descriptions are as much of people, situations, attitudes, events, as of buildings, structure, itineraries, activities, routines, objects, atmospheres, circumstances, sounds, smells, including also the impressions, deductions, and intuitions of the describing or narrating subject. The audio tracks created by the performers may then be heard and downloaded for free from Dora García’s website, giving the listener an unique incite and snapshot of the city as it exists today.

The ten locations that each “prayer” will be recorded are the M32 underpass (Lower Ashlet Road/Easton Way), North Street (Bedminster), on a ferry boat in the Floating Harbour, in Cabot Circus, St Pauls, St Werburghs, The Downs, inside The Canteen on Stokes Croft, aboard bus route 36 to Withywood and finally on Park Street.

Prayers

Dora García
Monday 9th until Tuesday 31st @ Free online project

This year we are collaborating with Arnolfini on an extraordinary free online project, created by the Spanish artist Dora García, in collaboration with the people of Bristol. On Saturday 7th May, ten performers will be placed in different parts of the city at different hours of the day with the challenge of describing everything they see and hear. These descriptions, recited like prayers, will delve into the people, attitudes, architecture, habits, sounds, smells and impressions of Bristol.

All ten audio recordings will then be available to download, to listen, reproduce and combine online from Monday 9th May at doragarcia.org/rezos/bristol

Dora García is representing Spain at the 2011 Venice Biennale.