Marla Hlady | Swan Song

Swan Song consists of two stills from the Balvenie Distillery that were retired on June 28, 2019 after serving for 12 years. The swan neck portions of the stills were then cut and, because their shape resembles the horn of a gramophone, Swan Song uses them as resonators for sound. Recordings made throughout the distillery are played through each swan neck: Robbie Dhu Spring cairn where the water first enters the Glenfiddich property, the cooperage floor where casks are being repaired, the vats where barley goes through the various stages of germination, the bottling floor, a choir made up of staff working at William Grant & Sons (which houses Balvenie and Glenfiddich distilleries). Each member of the choir volunteered to contribute two short voice recordings – one the highest pitched sound they could produce, and one the lowest – each sound held for as long as possible. The recordings are triggered by devices that mash them up. They are treated kinetically. They are distilled acoustically. They are mangled mechanically.

Exhibition History: 2023 Produit Rien (Montreal, Canada), 2020 Christie Contemporary (Toronto, Canada), 2019 Glenfiddich Residency Art Gallery (Dufftown, Scotland)

Press: Sanander, Daniella. “Review: Marla Hlady and Christof Migone.” Artforum, May 2020, online.
Price, Neil. “Marla Hlady and Christof Migone’s Whisky-Infused Resonances.” Frieze magazine, 08 November 2022.
Cianciotta, Aurelio. “Marla Hlady & Christof Migone – Swan Song.” Neural: Critical digital culture and media arts. November 9, 2023. Album review.

Work represented by Christie Contemporary

See also: Swan Song LP

Swan Song, 2019
copper swan necks, cardboard whisky sleeves, motors, speakers, recordings, misc electrical and electronics
55 x 32 x 108 inches

In collaboration with Christof Migone
Part of the works produced during the Glenfiddich Residency
Software and circuit design: Christopher Dela Cruz
Coppersmith: Dennis McBain
Choir: The Doric Dozen (Mark Beattie, Colin Corson, Gemma Cruickshank, Julie Ettles, Maureen Farquhar, Laura Forsyth, Carol Hendry, Sarah Law, Fraser McGill, Helen Murray, George Paterson, Fred Robertson, Adrianne Sellar, Vicki Shaw, Megan Thomson, Robbie Walker)
Thanks to: Andy Fairgrieve, Dennis McBain, Douglas Paul, Wild Rhombus

Photo credit: Marla Hlady and Christof Migone

Videography and Editing: Alan Peng, Jeff Zhao (Peppercorn Imagine Studio)

Each member of the makeshift choir volunteered to contribute two short voice recordings, one the highest pitched sound they could produce, and one the lowest. They were asked to hold the sound for as long as possible. The resulting recordings were arranged according to how long they’ve each been working at the distillery, 2 months being the shortest, and 39 years and 5 months being the longest (their collective average years of service: 10 years and 2 months). In terms of duration of the audio, the transposition was one month equals one second. The overall duration was based on the age of the distillery, founded in 1886 (so, its 133 years equals 26:36 using the same logic of 1 month = 1 second).

The treatment of the voices was primarily kept as simple as possible, stretching and repeating. Subsequent layering and panning effects add some edge to the recording that was otherwise intentionally kept monolithic—conveying a single collective mass, in constant labour, reflecting the fact that their constant work shifts enables the clear spirit to shift to whisky as it ages in the casks.

The Choir: Mark Beattie, Colin Corson, Gemma Cruickshank, Julie Ettles, Maureen Farquhar, Laura Forsyth, Carol Hendry, Sarah Law, Fraser McGill, Helen Murray, George Paterson, Fred Robertson, Adrianne Sellar, Vicki Shaw, Megan Thomson, Robbie Walker.

Their years of seniority: 6 months, 1 year and 2 months, 2 months, 24 years and 10 months, 8 years, 18 years and 5 months, 1 year and 11 months, 12 years, 4 years and 8 months, 39 years and 5 months, 9 years and 7 months, 5 years, 3 months, 17 years and 6 months, 3 years and 6 months, and 11 years and 6 months.

Their job titles: an HR Manager, a Food & Beverage Team Leader, a Hospitality and Events Assistant, a Senior Malt Barn Team Member, a Label Store Operator, two Technical Analysts, a Utilities Team Leader, a Warehouse Coordinator, a Visitor Centre Handyman, a Technical Planner & Site Development Leader, a Process Team Leader, three Bottling Team Members, and an Operations & Finance Team Member.