M A Harms
Installation On-site June 4th:
This Body is a Play Thing
“This Body is a Play Thing” is an interactive sound art installation made in response to its sister piece, “Disembodiment”, which was about abuse and harm done to those around us. This project focuses on the variations of the word “play” and positive interactions with bodies instead.
The piece is set up with a circle of 5-8 instruments made from mannequins. In an outer ring surrounding the mannequins, there will be posters placed into the ground facing the opposite direction of the bodies. These posters will offer various text prompts questioning how many ways can we define the word “play” while interacting with the instruments. It will then be up to the participants to rely on their remembered interpretations of the prompts as they navigate into the inner circle to explore the mannequins and the sounds that they are capable of producing.
These mannequin instruments were created to point out significant flaws within the music and art world via abuse, sexism, fatphobia, and transphobia. However, “This Body is a Play Thing” offers time and space for them to also become a means of celebration for Sound Pedro patrons to express through them. Some of these mannequins are modeled after instruments such as guitars and make very inconsistent and grungy sounds. While the voices of these mannequins may not be up to par with popular instruments, there is a deeply calming effect to seeing things that were initially rooted in violence, ultimately bringing people joy and healing.
More information on June 4th on-site event.
About the Artist:
M A Harms is a Los Angeles based composer, instrument builder, and performer who explores the intersections between grief, gender, and sex through a combination of text and sound. Performance art is a major component of their work, as they believe that sound and visual aesthetics are equally significant within their art. M navigates literal stories and personal life events via sound practice, obscuring them to the point that they begin to bridge the gap between individual and “universal” experiences.
Artist Location: Los Angeles, CA
Social Media: Instagram
