Sound Installation Magpie at St John on the Wall

St John on the Wall, Bristol

Sound Installation 'Magpie' by Angela Ugarte

This two day, site site-specific sound installation has been commissioned for En Masse 2024. Angela Ugarte presents Magpie, a site-specific sound installation. Inspired by the common misconception of magpies’ affinity to shiny things, she considers the relation of memories to nostalgia. The piece is a portrayal of how recollections emerge from the rhythms which carry our thoughts, and how the present is influenced by a past mediated through these recollections.

The piece is composed of archival sounds which were gathered and recorded from Ugarte’s personal life during the height of summer in her home country of Peru. These sounds are paced alongside recordings of the artist, and scraps of melodies previously made. Constructed from this is a sonic representation of how past moments are organised in her mind and incorporated into the present.

Just as it is untrue that a magpie’s collection is composed of only shiny objects, Ugarte offers the idea that her memory is not curated, but instead is a haphazard collection of moments from her and her loved ones’ pasts. She asks, what does memory consist of if it is not hand-picked? What is memory when stripped of nostalgia?

The installation is open from 12:00 - 18:00 both Friday 15th and Saturday 16th November. Guests are encouraged to attend, listen and enjoy the installation at their own pace.

This event is free to attend. E-tickets while encouraged are not required for entry, this event is open to all. The Crypt at St. John on the Wall is not accessible and is accessible only by using stairs.

This event is funded by Arts Council England.