Come join us at Pyramid Club Aotearoa for the opening of a combined exhibition: Pepeha by Riki Gooch Pirihi and Membranes #! by Daniel Beban
Riki Gooch Pirihi
Pepeha
Pepeha: a way of introducing oneself. It will usually follow a set format and identifies who we are, where we're from and where we belong.
The auditory composition, Pepeha, by musician Riki Pirihi (Ngāti Wai, Patuharakeke, and Ngāti Māhanga), serves as a sonic embodiment delineating the sensation of detachment from one's whakapapa, compounded by the apprehension attendant upon the necessity of verbalising it to external parties, yet counterbalanced by an aspirational impulse toward confident and cohesive expression. Employing vocal motifs and the utilisation of ngā taonga pūoro, Pirihi employs a technique of linguistic deconstruction and reassembly, utilising phonetic fragments and lexical excerpts to construct a Pepeha, emblematic of the individual's endeavour toward selfassured cultural articulation and integration.
Riki Pirihi (Ngāti Wai, Patuharakeke, Ngāti Māhanga), a composer, and musician, presently residing in Te Whanganui a-Tara, has recently completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition. His doctoral research has been centred on the cultivation of a unique lexicon termed Rangatuone, which intertwines the principles of Conduction with expressive signs and gestures, tailored specifically for the composition and performance of taonga pūoro alongside Western instruments.
Daniel Beban
Membranes #!
Rimurapa (kelp) sculpture/sound installation
Washed up and sun dried rimurapa (kelp), collected from the Pariwhero area (outside of the Taputeranga Marine Reserve), is used as an acoustic speaker, through which are played-back sounds of coastal area from which it was gathered. The kelp acts to amplify its own sound soundscape. A full circle of sorts. When dried, the closed cells of the kelp, like honey comb, are very light and rigid, providing a particularly responsive material which is set in motion by small vibrational speakers.
Daniel Beban is a musician and sound artist who lives in Wellington, New Zealand. He performs on a number of different instruments in groups including Orchestra of Spheres, Farewell Spit, The Stinging Nettles, Devils Gate Outfit, Micro Soft Voices, UMU and others. He builds sound sculptures and invented instruments out of found objects and recycled materials. Through his work as a radio sound engineer, Daniel has experimented at length with reel-to-reel tape machines. The tape machine has formed the basis of much of his electronic work, especially with Imbogodom (duo with Alexander Tucker).
Opening: Rāpare (Thurs) 20th June 5:30PM
Gallery open 11am-3pm Tuesday's and at gigs
Special thanks to Creative New Zealand for supporting Pyramid Club's programme
