Watermelon Rat
Points of Entelechy (24.11.2017)
‘Watermelon Rat’ is an outcome of a one-hour-long performance by Points of Entelechy in London,UK on 24.11.2017.
Points of Entelechy (P.O.E.) is a loop-based, improvised audio-visual performance project by Mario Radev (visuals) and Lutfi Othman (audio) where the artists create spontaneous sonic and visual worlds through the act of live looping. The live looping of sound is sample-based and draws mainly from an eclectic mix of ethnic music and found sound recordings, intermeshing in the loopscape to produce rhythmic atmospheres of disjointed voices and concréte instruments. The visual aspect of the performance responds to the sound through intuitive live drawing and animation. With a repertoire of analog and digital live-animation techniques, and driven by the spirit of spontaneity and improvisation, Mario explores and demystifies the craftsmanship of 2D and stop-motion techniques, incorporating animation and drawing skills to landscape an emergent world where sound and image are entwined.
Each performance has as its output a sound and video recording as well as a final drawing. The purpose of this project is to emphasize the artist’s process. By witnessing the improvisation aspect of the performance, one is attuned to the dynamism of sonic and visual material - their relationship, and our habits of perceiving them. The use of loops, the repetitiveness of the sound, and animated elements create an immersive experience where the viewer can form momentary relationships between what they see and hear, whilst traversing into an aesthetically induced liminal space where transformation can occur. In this way, in each performance, the artists endeavor to provide for an experience of entering into an imagined environment enabling them to create a world for themselves.
This project has been presented in galleries, performance spaces, academic and festival settings, with each space adding its own character to each performance by imposing new limitations or possibilities.
‘Watermelon Rat’ encapsulates the progression of the mark-making process throughout the various different audio-visual scapes during the performance.
Visuals: Mario Radev
Music: Lutfi Othman