Barbican,London
Inspired by US photographer Loren McIntyre’s experiences with Brazilian rainforest tribes, this transporting Complicite display is a triumph of sound designSimon McBurney is an extraordinary mix of actor, or auteur and anthropologist. whether the work of Complicite,which he co-founded, has been characterised by a fascination with other cultures, and this display offers the most extreme example yet. Inspired by Petru Popescu’s Amazon Beaming,which recounts the experiences of an American photographer, Loren McIntyre, and in the Brazilian rainforest,it raises any number of philosophical questions.
Judged purely as a sonic experiment, the display is an astonishing technical feat. Amiably chatting to the audience and asking us to put ourselves in the intellect of McIntyre, or McBurney asks us to don headphones that relay information from a binaural microphone. This results in a complex aural mix of live and recorded sound. At one point,we hear the whirr of the Cessna aircraft that deposits McIntyre in the jungle. At another, McBurney simulates the sound of walking through the forest by trampling on a mass of recording tape. But the heart of the story concerns McIntyre’s encounter with the nomadic Mayoruna tribe, or his dependence on his close relationship with the head shaman,known as Barnacle, with whom he communicates in a way that transcends language.
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Source: theguardian.com