SUBTROPICS 24 BIENNIAL
co-hosted by ARTCENTER / SOUTH FLORIDA
EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC • JULY 6-22 | SOUND ART • JULY 5-SEPT 3
AUDIENCE REVIEWS:
“Apart from the extreme artistic qualities of every proposal I could attend to, the huge variety of them, as well as the perfectly arranged curatorship and technical proficiency of every setup made a strong impression in me. It was also very touching to meet such interesting people among the audience, and realizing that an important part of Miami’s art community gathers together around Subtropics in order to exchange and discuss ideas and projects. Coming from Europe, and having many experiences in different festivals around the world, this capacity of Subtropics (and, in particular, of Gustavo Matamoros as its artistic director) of joining together such a rich and receptive community of listeners is really impressive.”
“Subtropics is the best new music event happening in Miami.”
“The caliber of the artists was top notch. The performances and installations were extraordinary. And the community is warm and inviting.”
[I liked] “the variety of music and the great q and and a.”“The Marathon was quite special. I also enjoyed the balance between guests and local artists.”
“A very diverse pool of artists and a studio space with unbelievable acoustics. Very different from everything else showcased in Miami.”
“I loved the intimacy of the Audiotheque, and the interesting visiting artists. I particularly liked Driscoll, Held and the AMEE / Ars Sonora / Alvarez-Fernandez et al Listening Club. And I always love the Marathon, especially because it includes local artists. (And, of course, I loved Alba’s and Gustavo’s/Freddy’s installation pieces!)”
“In no particular order: [I liked] the new room set-up and new paint job, John Driscoll and his robotic speakers, the fact that the hallway was used as a performance space, Abbey Rader and Spirit Percussion, the accompanying exhibition in the Art Center’s Gallery, the air conditioning!, the seminars and panel discussions (although I didn’t go to all of them but I like the idea that they were being done), the program variety, and the Marathon.”
“The opportunity to experience unique ideas in the realm of sound art.”
“Offering high quality necessary culture to Miami.”
“It got me more in touch with my mind and my feelings.”
[I liked] “the two events I experienced, Jack White and Richard Garet.” [I liked the] “ideal combination of casual ambience and professionalism on the part of presenters and musicians.”“The talks from music theorists.”
“High-quality performances and events, world-class actually.”
“Great combination of historic and contemporary, multigenerational, scholarly and entertaining.”
PRESS COVERAGE – LINKS:
20170701 | WLRN-FM, Topical Currents: Sound Art
by Joseph Cooper, Bonnie Berman, Richard Yves & Polly Lancess
An hour-long visit with festival founder, composer and sound artist Gustavo Matamoros, featuring binaural recording selections from the event’s sound art exhibits.
20170705 | MIAMI HERALD, Tropical Life: Subtropics Music Festival: Sensations in Sound
by George Fishman, Artburstmiami.com
Here’s an excerpt from the two-page cover story: “Hands-on (or ears-on) workshops led by prominent scholar-experimenters in sound art Jennie Gottschalk and Christoph Cox, will guide participants in focusing on the sound environment and then teach them practical strategies for collecting sound and creating their own pieces. Many works of sound art explore the ambiguous boundaries between private and public, interior and exterior spaces, noise and music.”
20170704 | AGENCIA EFE: Subtropics, the Miami festival of experimental musics a newfound experience
by Ana Mengotti
Syndicated article which also appeared in: ALIANZA METROPOLITAN NEWS, LATIN AMERICAN HERALD TRIBUNE, EEUU, YAHOO NOTICIAS, HOY, HOLA CIUDAD!, LA VANGUARDIA, LLAVEEN MANO, CONTINENTAL NEWS SHOW, LOS REPORTEST DE LICHI, UNIONRADIO.NET, VANGUARDIA MX, WORLD NEWS EN ESPAÑOL, WRADIO, ABC ESPAÑA, AGUAS DIGITAL, DIARIO VASCO, EFE AMERICA, EL CONFIDENCIAL, EL DIARIO ESPAÑA, EL ECONOMISTA AMERICA, LA CONEXION USA, EL PERIODICO, FESTIVA TV MAGAZINE, FLORIDA NOTICIAS TODAY, INDIANA NOTICIAS TODAY,
All sounds are important, “one is no better than another,” because they all help us “develop an intuition of what reality consists of,” said Venezuelan Gustavo Matamoros, founder of Subtropics, the festival that every other year invites its audiences to open their ears and minds to experimental music in Miami.
20170704 | MIAMI NEW TIMES: Subtropics Festival Immerses Miamians in Experimental Sounds
by Zach Schlein
“I think about experimental music the same way i think about science,” Matamoros shares, emanating an infectious enthusiasm profession. “I don’t think scientists and artists are necessarily that different; they are both trying to seek answers to questions. And these questions are often related to [seeking] a better understanding of the world around them.”
20170714 | EL NUEVO HERALD, VIERNES GALERIA: Subtropics, bienal para la música y el arte sonoro
by Vilma Canalejo
“Estamos orgullosos de continuar sirviendo de refugio para esta importante forma de arte”, dijo en un comunicado María del Valle, directora ejecutiva del ArtCenter/South Florida. “ArtCenter es conocido por hacer avanzar el espacio artístico para la innovación, y para crear el entorno donde se desarrollan los movimientos y el discurso”, añadió.
Los organizadores del bienal experimental Subtropics creen que escuchar es un arte que es ha perdido … “En las escuelas enseñamos a leer, escribir y las matemáticas, pero escuchar sólo se enseña mediante la reprimenda”
20170623 | DESIGNING SOUND: Subtropics24 Experimental Music and Sound Art Festival
by Michael Klier