She was born in Dublin, now in London and NYC and studied fine art. She will release an album soon, but the release date is still undefined. It is complicated what is her practice about. She is an artist, but she’s also not. Is she a sound artist?
I don’t use the term sound art. Too ambiguous. I call it sound practice or new noise. If you make a piece of art with steel, it’s not going to be called steel art. Why does that happen with sound?
Vivienne Griffin
Why sound, and why does she navigate through this format? On the Somerset House web page’s biography, the header states “Griffin’s antidisciplinary practice includes electronic noise(…)”. But the same page refers to her practice product as audio work. This dilemma with nomenclatures drives the practice ambiguous and whether its existence is valid or not. It is again the postmodern machine deconstructing everything that already exists to create new perspectives and new ideas. This way of thinking – sound practice – fascinated me. I think it is important to question ourselves the reasons why we are making such type of products and I consider Griffins inquiries on the medium very important.
My practices are divided into two formats: studio and workshops.
Vivienne Griffin
In this brief, I will review two projects that she developed lately. The first will be to her perfomance with Paul Purgas, featuring Flora Yin-Wong, rkss, Joe Namy, Nik Nak and Annie Goh, called Latent Joy for Somerset House Studios with AGM. For the first time, AGM will partner with neighbours St Mary Le Strand, located across the newly-pedestrianised Strand Aldwych. Latent Joy is the collaboration that was set among artists that belonged on the same residency to be held on the first large scale event set by Somerset Studios after the pandemic.
The voice, vernacular language and noise are used in text works (2D and aural) and free poetic form is applied to assemblages of objects (found and made).
Somerset House Studios on Vivienne Griffin
