Stock-a-studio, led by Assistant Professor Laida Aguirre, recently designed scenography for Hive Rise, by composer Ashley Fure. It premiered at Berghain Club in Berlin in January.

In Hive Rise, Fure, a renowned American composer and installation artist, explores the kinetic side of sound via the physical acts of music-making and the chaotic behaviors of acoustics. She delves into the site-specificity of Berghain with her new ensemble of 10 performers who perform on an array of custom plinths created by stock-a-studio. These unique objects, designed to be compatible with the existing architectural and aesthetic specificities of the space, create a fully immersive environment that captures the participatory possibilities of Berghain. The performers wield custom 3D-printed megaphones by Matter Design that focus acoustic energy in highly directional streams. 

Interested in the circulation of materials and commodities, Aguirre’s research focuses on the way our built environment is affected by the politics of aesthetics, logistics, and media. Their work conceives of architecture as a temporary assembly of materials in service of the everyday event. Students Delaney McCraney, Anika Shah, Waylon Manning, and Dana Cohen collaborated with Aguirre on the Hive Rise scenography.

Hive Rise is directed by Lilleth Glimcher and is a co-commission between CTM and DAAD’s Berliner Künstlerprogramm. The project is funded in part by Taubman College through its support of faculty creative practice and by the University of Michigan Office of Research.