Smedaholmen Tourist (with Amplifiers) or Ocean Amplifiers was conceived for “Five Thousand Generations of birds,” an exhibition located in the archipelago of Fitjar on the West coast of Norway – a landscape consisting of 381 islands, isles and reefs – each participating artist produced a temporary, site-specific work in response to one of the islands. Ocean Amplifiers was located on the main exhibition island, Smedholmen, where viewers could approach the work by foot or by water. Using three rebuilt guitar amplifiers as ocean buoys, Hlady collaborated with Chenaux, performing as tourists in this extraordinary landscape. Tourism is defined as the practice of travelling for recreation and therefore suggests a superficial engagement with a place. Is a superficial engagement attention to the surface only? If surfaces can reflect, shift and change, compel a stare, even offer a psychedelic experience, what about sound?

Ocean Amplifiers used pre-recorded organ-like chords, live bowed guitar (an electric guitar bowed with a small violin bow), and a small spun speaker. The harmonic material for the organ-like chords (guitar chords through a guitar pedal that sounds like a cheap organ) were generated from several Norwegian Hardinger fiddle tunings. These tunings, a total of six, are heard from the right and left buoys as a stereo sound while the centre buoy and swinging-speaker amplify the bowed guitar. Swinging a speaker on a short cable creates an effect similar to a Leslie speaker’s use of the tremolo effect (the swinging-speaker was four inches in diameter and was powered by a small guitar amp).

Exhibition History: 2012 FTG of Birds (Fitjar, Norway)

Press: Anderson, Shannon. “Marla Hlady: The Art of Noise.” Canadian Art. Spring: 2013. 92-97.

Supported by the Canada Council for the Arts

See also: The Instrument Project, Soundball: Dancehauling, Marla Hlady and The Tristanos