Watch 'The Sculptor Speaks' Ivor Novello Award nominee

The Sculptor Speaks was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award in the Sound Art category at the Ivors Composer Awards 2020. I was delighted, how wonderful to be part of such a celebration of talents across the UK. The ceremony due to take place at the British Museum was cancelled, due to covid, but replaced with a broadcast on BBC Radio 3. I am very grateful for this nomination, it brought visibility to my project, and that means a lot, especially in the context of this challenging year. Sound artist Kathy Hinde was awarded the Ivor Novello in Sound Art for her excellent project ‘Twittering Machines’.

The Sculptor Speaks is a resounding of a 1961 recording of Barbara Hepworth’s voice, premiered on Resonance Extra, followed by an audio-visual iteration.

Watch ‘The Sculptor Speaks’ https://vimeo.com/438255942

'The Sculptor Speaks' is a resounding of a 1961 tape by British sculptor Barbara Hepworth. The tape’s initial purpose was for a pre-recorded talk with slides for the British Council. Having unearthed the tape at the British Library, Olivia Louvel has designed for it a complete new sound environment. Fascinated by the interplay of voice and sculpture, her practice is built upon a long-standing exploration of the voice, sung or spoken, and its manipulation through digital technology. She is applying principles of sculpture to Hepworth’s voice to manipulate its texture, as direct carving - exposing the material itself, resulting often in the abstract. Visually, Louvel draws from Hepworth’s singular sculptural relationship to the landscape of Cornwall. Emerging from the seascape, a geometric line is being slowly drawn, completing a full meditative cycle. Premiered and broadcast on Resonance Extra as a version 1.0 [transmission], this audio-visual iteration [contactless] is for the digital realm and will be followed by a gallery [installation] in the future. Working at the intersection of creation and documentation, Louvel broadens the understanding of Barbara Hepworth’s legacy through an aural investigation of the voice. The sculptor speaks - anew. 'The Sculptor Speaks' is nominated for an Ivor Novello Award in the Sound Art category at the Ivors Composer Awards 2020. READ + https://www.olivialouvel.com/thesculptorspeaks Credits: composed and produced by Olivia Louvel visual production: Olivia Louvel visual After Effects: Antoine Kendall Thank you to Sophie Bowness, trustee of the Hepworth Estate Resonance Extra / Resonance FM DMSA, University of Brighton [Hepworth Resounds] is in two parts. The album 'SculptOr' is a suite of nine pieces based on Hepworth’s extensive writings. Available at https://catwerkimprint.bandcamp.com/album/sculptor