ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Nikita Gale, an artist, and Alexander Provan, Triple Canopy’s editor, are the hosts of Medium Rotation. In the first episode, they ask who we are—and what we can do—as listeners, members of an audience, and bodies in concert (or in conflict). They introduce the first season of the podcast, Omniaudience, by speaking about the revelation of arena concerts, the performance of listening by CEOs and self-help gurus, and how the demand to be heard manifests in protest and property violence. And they listen to MC Hammer, Van Halen, Pauline Oliveros, Kimberly Jones, and the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners.
Provan and Gale have been collaborating for several years on work related to the politics of listening, which has involved a residency at the Hammer Museum as well as a series of publications, performances, and conversations as part of Triple Canopy’s twenty-sixth issue, Two Ears and One Mouth. In his essay for the issue “The Great Equalizer,” Provan writes about the relationship between speaking and listening, especially in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
In this episode, Gale and Provan speak about the composer Pauline Oliveros, whose writing and teaching are available via the Center for Deep Listening. In order of appearance, the music and other recordings played on this episode are: a concert by MC Hammer, 1991; a concert by Van Halen, 1995; a master class by Pauline Oliveros, 2012; a hearing by the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, 2020; and a video of the author Kimberly Jones by the filmmaker David Jones, 2020.
Nikita Gale is an artist who lives in Los Angeles. In addition to co-hosting Omniaudience, Gale has worked with Triple Canopy on a residency at the Hammer Museum and a related series of performances and publications. Gale’s essay “Little Girls” was published by Triple Canopy last year. Gale’s current and upcoming projects include exhibitions at the California African American Museum (Los Angeles) and LAX Art (Los Angeles), as well as the record and book INFINITE RESOURCES (Aventures, 2021).
Alexander Provan is the editor of Triple Canopy. He is the recipient of a Creative Capital | Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant and has been a fellow at the Vera List Center for Art and Politics. His writing has appeared in the Nation, n+1, Art in America, Artforum, Frieze, and in several exhibition catalogues. His work has been presented at the 14th Istanbul Biennial, Museum Tinguely (Basel), 12th Bienal de Cuenca (Ecuador), New Museum (New York), Kunsthall Oslo, and Hessel Museum of Art (Annandale-on-Hudson, New York), among other venues. His LP Measuring Device with Organs was published by Triple Canopy in 2018.
Medium Rotation is produced by Alexander Provan with Andrew Leland, and edited by Provan with Matt Frassica. Tashi Wada composed the theme music. Matt Mehlan acted as the audio engineer and contributed additional music.
Medium Rotation is made possible through generous contributions from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and Nicholas Harteau. This season of Medium Rotation is part of Triple Canopy’s twenty-sixth issue, Two Ears and One Mouth, which receives support from the Stolbun Collection, the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, Agnes Gund, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
