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May 31, 2023

Visualising the voice in no man's land

When you listen to someone's voice without seeing them, do you form an image of them? Their gender, body characteristic, or even their mood and character? The answer is likely yes. A voice carries social connotations and gender norms within it. However, what if we start playing with these expectations? What remains? And how would the voice appear when visualized in its stripped-down form? That is precisely what Ermis Christodoulou, a master's student Performance Practices, explored in his finals research. Ermis shares how his scientific background, experiences as a transgender individual, and two years at the Home of Performance Practices have shaped his graduation project. 

The voice in a synthetic lanscape of sounds and images 

Ermis, with a background as a chemist, approaches things from a unique perspective. "As a research chemist, I very often work with substances that are not visible to the eye. The process of zooming into microscopic scales and subtracting data is something that I bring with me, and I’m hoping to create a toolkit that combines scientific and artistic methodologies. For my current project, I delve into the micro-world of imperceptible vocal vibrations, capturing and magnifying the visual patterns they create." Ermis employs various media for this purpose. "My graduation work, trans-mission, is a mixed-media performance. It unfolds in a theatrical setting, featuring a science fiction-like scenario where I transform my voice into a synthetic landscape of sounds and images." 

How the voice is perceived when it reaches the listener's ear is bound by complex socio-political norms. The no man's land between the mouth and the ear is an intriguing space to explore."

Ermis Christodoulou, master's student Performance Practices

Imagineering the voice

Ermis is particularly interested in the vocal vibrations when they travel through space between the speaker and the listener, between talking and listening. "It's a fascinating place where the voice hasn't been assigned meaning yet!" Ermis explains. "How the voice is perceived when it reaches the listener's ear is bound by complex socio-political norms. The no man's land between the mouth and the ear is an intriguing space to explore." Ermis aims to experiment creatively within this uncharted territory. "What resides there? How can I give it a pattern, a colour, or a shape? And when the voice takes on a form, a visual representation—how is it perceived? Can this no man's land be the place where we can rethink  the voice  beyond its gender and socio-political extensions?" Ermis uses the term ‘imagineering’ when talking about his graduation project: to engineer through imagination. “For me, imagineering the voice provides a pathway to perceive the voice otherwise.”

Seemingly disparate worlds 

The master's course Performance Practices promotes artistic research through performance-making and brings theory and practice together. “In the early days of the course, we were exposed to the notion of the Body in Performance and its philosophical, ethical, and socio-political underpinnings. We were encouraged to gradually start formulating our own practice-based research. My cohort consists of nine more artists-researchers - and incredible human beings - from various disciplines, who developed very different approaches and translated the theories into their own unique practices,” Ermis explains.  

Ermis Christodoulou performing 'trans-mission'. Photo by: Fenia Kotsopoulou

 

For Ermis, the master's course has revolved around merging the seemingly contrasting worlds of science and art, while incorporating his lived experience as a transgender person. "My graduation project is the artistic outcome of an auto-ethnographic practice-based research on the transgender experience in relation to the voice. The voice became my material, and from a personal object of self-identification, it turned to the object of study and the artistic medium.” 

“I gained confidence in sharing my story” 

The subject resonated with his lecturers and peers at the course as well. “I am grateful for the people who have been there for me along the way. The creative process can be very vulnerable, especially with such a personal project. But through the interest, support, and feedback I have received, I gained confidence in sharing my story." For Ermis, this is an ongoing research journey. "I'm far from done with this subject." 

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