Concerted/Rest
Concerted/ Rest, an activation in May 2024, merges Angel City Arts’ ambition of making multi-disciplinary works with outreach to an often overlooked and under-served Los Angeles audience. The idea is to ‘take the beautiful music and interaction that happens inside rooms at the festival each year and bring it to people seeking refuge in public spaces. ‘, says lead artist/ composer, Jacqueline (Jae) Kim.
As of the 2023 homeless count, the amount of people living on the streets of Los Angeles has increased an alarming 10% from the previous year. While the ‘housing first’ model prevails as the most effective strategy, tens of thousands of people are living in public, waiting for this reality to take place; it is the predominant choice over residing in a shelter for many. Kim continues, ‘Musical offerings are made outdoors regularly throughout the city, but rarely for this specific population. We use the term ‘sanctuary city’; this model proposes upholding sanctuary space.’
Kim and multi-reedist Douglas Wieselman will compose a series of pieces based on time spent at a given site. Like great jazz, they plan to take the edges of noise and sound (natural and industrial), and experiment with the age-old effects of frequency to create healing containers within these public settings.
After each Concerted performance, sculptures lit from within will remain at the site for the project’s second part, Rest, a responsive installation. Recordings of the live performances will have been edited into sequences and when a visitor approaches the sculptures, a sensor will re-activate the music, creating a temporary oasis. Music, documentation, and stories will also be shared with the Angel City Jazz festival’s audience in the fall season
‘I look forward to collaborating with Jae, the other artists and the urban environment.’
-Douglas Wieselman, composer
