Stirred Mandala IIMariska de Groot (NL)

Sound and light performance, 2019

Stirred Mandala is a light and sound performance that arises from Mariska’s ongoing research in optical sound, interfering patterns and spiral movements in body and machine. The spinning pattern of a “tone wheel” is projected on the floor, like a rug of light creating the instrument surface for the performer, while light-to-sound transducers become her playful tools. Changing frequencies of the light cause the projection to appear in different patterns going in different directions, while sound follows this optical illusion. Stirred Mandala II was developed during an artist in residency in A4, Bratislava.

This work was commissioned by A4 and KONTEJNER, as part of the international collaborative project Re-Imagine Europe, co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, and supported using public funding by the Slovak Arts Council and Bratislava Self-Governing Region.

Mariska de Groot (NL)

Intrigued by the phenomena and history of optical sound, Mariska de Groot (1982, NL) makes, performs and composes for comprehensive analogue light-to-sound instruments and installations which explore this principle in new ways. Her work often has a reference to media inventions from the past, with which she aims to excite a multi-sensorial and phenomenological experience in light, sound, movement and space.

Mariska obtained her BA in graphic design in Arnhem (2000–2005) and received her master’s degree from the ArtScience Interfaculty in 2012. In 2009/2010 Mariska received a Startstipendium from Fonds BKVB. She won the BNG Workspace 12 Project Prize in 2012, in 2014 she won the O68 Award for German/Dutch artists and in 2016 she received a Creatives Industries Talent development grant.

Mariska de Groot has presented her work at several national and international events such as STEIM (NL), Fiber (NL), Resonate (RS), Ars Electronica (A), Atonal (DE), CTM (DE), Oddstream Festival (NL), Todays Art (NL), Shiny Toys (DE), NCCA Moscow [RUS], NCCA Arsenal (RUS), Centras (LI), Glow (NL), Lab30 (DE), NK Berlin (DE), STRP (NL), IFFR (NL), Worm (NL), Atelier Nord (NO), Mirage Festival (FR), Nederlands Film Festival (NL), EYE Filminstituut Amsterdam (NL), STUK (BE).

mariskadegroot.com