Ultra-red, "Untitled (for voice)," 2008.

libretto:

01' Jake Turcotte: "I'm sorry I can't answer those questions until Thursday [pause] at nine AM [pause] if you're one of the first six people in line [breath]"
Entered into the record by PJ Gouldmann, Baltimore Museum of Art (Baltimore, Maryland, Saturday, 16 April 2005)

02' Megan Sutherland: "I ... am ... confused [pause]"
Entered into the record by Valerie Spenser, Armand Hammer Museum (Los Angeles, California, Thursday, 5 May 2005)

03' Paul Morse: "Ya it was it was a really strong strong moment and it's a I think uh a very gutsy thing to do "
Entered into the record by Unidentified Speaker 5, Walter Phillips Gallery (Banff, Alberta, Thursday, 23 June 2005)

04' Caitlin Welby: "I'm sorry to have to tell you this [breath]"
Entered into the record by Terri Baltimore, Andy Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wednesday, 30 November 2005)

05' Patrick Mulligan: "And I I mean I admit I mean I never worry about this if I'm with a woman [pause] not once"
Entered into the record by Unidentified Speaker 1, Concordia University (Montreal, Quebec, Tuesday, 4 April 2006)

06' Lisa Goldberg: "When I listen to the silence ... I heard behind it [short pause] an anger [breath]"
Entered into the record by Tommy Jong, Southern Illinois University (Carbondale, Illinois, Friday, 14 April 2006)

07' Nika Nunley: "I guess I hope ... some of my input is useful ... to your effort [breath]"
Entered into the record by Syrus Ware (Pete Collins, on tape): Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto, Ontario, Wednesday, 9 August 2006)

projectdescription
During a March 2007 workshop with students at the Massachusetts College of Art, Ultra-red members conducted an experiment in the College audio laboratory. Seven students were asked to perform one short excerpt from statements recorded during the seven performances of Ultra-red's SILENT|LISTEN (2005-2006). The excerpts were looped for one minute. Each student attempted to perform one of the loops while listening to the original recording through headphones. For Ultra-red, the experiment contributed to our development of an AIDS activist opera, or operaction. For the students at Mass Art, the recordings represented an experiment in identification: partial, incomplete, wherein the tensions between knowledge and desire become inscribed in the grain of the voice.

The final audio pieces were exhibited as an acousmatic installation in July 2007, LAXART, Culver City, California, Curator, Tim Ivison.

Ultra-red would like to thank Kianga Ford for inviting us to the Studio for Inter-related Media and to the seven students who participated in the experiment.

(Organized by Dont Rhine and Robert Sember.)