ALEXEY SHMURAK, OLEG SHPUDEIKO
RARE BIRDS
(UKRAINE)
The Rybalsky Bridge over Kyiv Harbor was built in the 1960s to connect residential Podil with the industrial Rybalsky peninsula. It was partially dismantled in the ‘90s and since then its neglected disrepair has been drawing roofers, photographers, musicians, and people out for a stroll and some romance. Once an important transportation artery, Rybalsky Bridge is soon to be destroyed to make room for the new Podil Bridge, which will carry the yet unbuilt fourth line of the city metro.
The bridge’s historical retrospective, its current ephemeral status and future oblivion piqued the interest of the project’s authors – Kyiv composers Alexey Shmurak and Oleg Shpudeiko. Their sound installation Rare Birds appeals to the past, present and hypothetical future of Kyiv, its transportation flows and directions.
Location: Rybalsky Bridge, September 28 – 30, from 10:00 to 18:00.
Alexey Shmurak is a sound artist who has composed and performed classical, contemporary classical, experimental music and multimedia performances. In his performances he often uses voice, horns, percussion, electronics and space. His interest in education and research is realized through art laboratories, master classes and public lectures. He is a resident of the Plivka experimental interdisciplinary art space in Kyiv. Together with another Kyiv-based composer and electroacoustic artist, Oleg Shpudeiko, he is currently working on rethinking electronic dance music and song forms and creating multi-genre interactive and immersive performances and exhibitions.
Oleg Shpudeiko is a composer and sound artist (goes by the moniker Heinali) specializing in electronic and electroacoustic music. His recent works explore the possibilities of module synthesis, in particular algorithmic music and its use in interdisciplinary projects, with a special interest in sound sculptures and polyphony. His music was featured in the video game Bound developed by Plastic/Sony Santa Monica (Poland/USA, 2016) and choreography A Thread by Jean Abreu Dance (Southbank Centre, London, 2016). Heinali’s works have been used by Injazero, Sony Interactive Entertainment, The Flenser, Fluttery, NEN, Paradigms and other labels. In 2013 Oleg began working with Oleksiy Shmurak. Focusing on multidisciplinarity, together they have done numerous audiovisual performances and concerts. They work with video artists, poets and musicians.