Aki Onda's Space Studies Performance at South London Gallery Explores Sound and Memory

On June 24, Aki Onda showcased his five-hour performance titled Space Studies at the Clore Studio of South London Gallery. The artist from Brooklyn altered the environment using items such as coconuts, brass bowls, and a bass drum, all linked by ribbons to a garden featuring Gabriel Orozco's 2016 concentric circles. The performance featured shifting electronic drones produced by modified cassette players and dictaphones placed on resonant structures. Onda skillfully rearranged objects while shaping sound, merging electronic and acoustic components. Found items hung like a dreamcatcher. Influences included Chris Watson, La Monte Young, and Richard Foreman's theater. A slide projector cast Rorschach-like images, while a rainstorm enriched the ambiance, delving into 'psyphony'—the interplay of memory and sound manipulation.