Initially designed for users with visual impairment by Ilan Manouach, Shapereader is a speculative, transdisciplinary project that promotes an embodied, non-retinal, narrative experience. It is built on an expanding repertoire of free floating tactile ideograms (tactigrams) intended to provide haptic equivalents for all the semantic features, the conceptual functions and textual attributes of a tactile text (deze snap ik trouwens echt niet, hij máákt het toch juist tactiel?). It was invented in 2015 with an ongoing outreach plan for raising awareness for a diversified audience, that has been unfolding in a variety of formats, international contexts and collaborations.
In 2021, and in the middle of the global pandemic, Shapereader’s tactile resources are put to use in the field of sonic experimentation and musical notation. Composers and performers from a variety of backgrounds were invited to question the normativity of conventional notation tools, discuss the de-emphasizing of vision in regards to 'reading' music and explore the manifold ways sound can be translated and stimulated by touch.
During the Beyond the Black Box Festival, Ilan will present some of the compositions developed in 2021-2022 during there redidency periods.
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Workshop
A workshop will take place on Saturday 4 February from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, in which the unique form of music notation is explained and can be applied. So bring your instrument and sign up via this link. No experience required.
Please note: the maximum number of participants is limited, therefore, there will be a selection procedure. When making a reservation, indicate in the comments what your motivation is to participate. You will be informed about the further progress of your application one week in advance.
