When “HIVE RISE,” a performance installation by Ash Fure and LILLETH, opens at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in November, it will feature scenic architecture by Laida “Xavi” Aguirre,
Aguirre, an assistant professor of architecture at Taubman College, was assisted by Delaney McCraney, M.Arch ’21, and Ana Tang, M.Arch ’19.
In addition, the 3D-printed megaphones used in the production and pictured above were created by Taubman College Associate Professor Wes McGee with Brandon Clifford and Johanna Lobdell — his partners at Matter Design — in collaboration with Aguirre and Fure. The team fabricated the megaphones at the University of Michigan’s robotic lab.
“HIVE RISE” premiered at Berlin’s iconic techno club Berghain in January 2020. The upcoming installation at The Geffen Contemporary — the venue of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Los Angeles dedicated to the most recent artistic trends — transforms MOCA’s Warehouse into a physical encounter with sound.
Amidst the ongoing states of emergency in which we find ourselves today, “HIVE RISE” emphasizes protocols of interdependence. Collective listening zones activated by human voices, subaudible subwoofers, architectural resonance, and psychoacoustic beats build a space for tactical listening. Performers with 3D-printed megaphones move among the visitors, modeling protocols of cooperation and sending slivers of white noise straight to the skin.
Aguirre also is director of stock-a-studio. Their research explores the ways our built environment is affected by the politics of aesthetics, logistics, and media. Emphasizing the circulation of materials and commodities, their work formulates architecture as a temporary assembly of materials in service of the everyday event.
“HIVE RISE ” is supported by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and is produced by The Industry LA, where Fure is a co-artistic director.
“HIVE RISE” will be performed November 19 and 20. Tickets are free with advance reservations; reservations open November 3 at 10 a.m. PDT. Learn more.
