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The Indiana Daily Student

arts

Wounded Galaxies Festival celebrates experimentation and discovery

In February 2014, the Bloomington-based experimental arts organization Burroughs Century had a festival in celebration of what would have been author William S. Burroughs’ 100th birthday. The organizers decided to put on another festival this year as well.

The result, the inaugural Wounded Galaxies Festival, will showcase experimental music, film and other arts Thursday through Sunday at various Bloomington venues. Schedule and ticket info are available at woundedgalaxiesfest.com.



Organizers Charles Cannon and Laura Ivins, both of whom also serve on the Burroughs Century board of directors and officers, said not all of the Wounded Galaxies artists and performers are connected to Burroughs’ work, but many are inspired by his artistic ideology.

“He was just very restless,” Cannon said. “He did a lot of collaborations ... He wanted to find new ways of expression. That is important to all the artists we brought here.”

Artists appearing at Wounded Galaxies include musical duo Matmos, math rock band Ahleuchatistas and feminist author Chris Kraus, who will read from her soon-to-be-released book on late feminist Kathy Acker. The IU Cinema will also have events, including a screening of “Sound and Chaos: The Story of BC Studio,” which documents the famed Brooklyn studio. Studio cofounder Martin Bisi, as well as the film’s directors, will be present.

Cannon and Ivins said one of the most exciting things about the performers at Wounded Galaxies is they make art that, by its nature, is performed differently 
every time.

Despite the generally inaccessible nature of many of these artists, they may still appeal to audiences not well-versed in experimental music, Ivins said. Matmos, for example, makes music with unconventional objects — their song “Snails and Lasers for Patricia Highsmith” was recorded with live snails, lasers and a light-sensitive theremin — but she said it also has enough melody to “wrap your head around.”

“I do think several of the music shows are accessible to people who don’t consider themselves fans of noise music,” she said. “... I think (these artists) are a lot of fun to listen to. It’s unique, but I don’t think it’s so experimental you don’t know what you’re listening to.”

While the organizers said they hope for strong turn-outs at all of the festival’s events, the music shows will probably draw the biggest crowds. Ivins said local experimental music enthusiasts should account for some of the crowds, but many attendees may be students just looking to hear new bands.

Ivins said audiences don’t necessarily have to like what they discover at Wounded Galaxies, but going in relatively blind and expecting the unexpected can only elevate the experience.

“I think they should allow themselves to be surprised,” she said. “One of the reasons I love experimental art is you get to discover something. If you go in knowing what you’re going to hear, you lose that element of discovery. Allow yourself to discover something.”

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