CHOIR OF KIN – Lichenography

Choir of Kin is an ongoing, multi-part intermedia project by the collective Transformative Narratives, which explores experimental composition and sound production processes through multispecies encounters. At Neue Galerie Graz, the collective presents its music notation technique Lichenography as an audiovisual installation. This technique was originally developed during a research residency as part of the European Media Art Platform in 2023.

Lichenography is a music notation technique that creates sounds based on the morphological data of lichens. In this process, the body shapes of lichens growing on trees and rocks are manually traced and translated into MIDI notes using digital editing software to compose music. In this way, the lichens become active participants in the composition process, creating sound clusters based on their physical structures.
This approach is inspired by a technique developed by scientist Anne Pringle to track individual growth cycles and declines in biodiversity.
Lichens are crucial organisms for understanding symbiosis and have played a significant role in the colonization of the land by plant life. Their structure consists of a fungal body in which algae or cyanobacteria live. The fungus forms the bulk of the lichen body and protects against drought and UV light, while the algae and cyanobacteria produce sugar as their main food source through photosynthesis. This collaboration between fungi and photosynthetic organisms has created a crucial connection that has existed for millions of
years and plays a central role in our ecosystem.
Inspired by these complex relationships, Transformative Narratives explores the emergence of multispecies worlds characterized by processes of survival and coexistence. The collective strives to tell stories that connect micro and macro worlds and expand our understanding of human identity by learning from more-than-human life. The collective’s themes and methods are informed by investigations into symbiosis and
the interweaving of landscapes.
The animation makes the audible visible: a fine line traces the shapes of the lichen, triggering notes and creating sound. The audience is invited to watch and listen as a symphony unfolds.

Credits:
The development of the project was supported by the European Media Art Platform as part of a research residency with Antre
Peaux in Bourges, France.
Animation with Cris Anutoiu and Martin Eichler
Coding with Gerard Valls Montaño

Biography:

Transformative Narratives
Transformative Narratives initiates performative and audiovisual experiences through transdisciplinary world-building strategies. By linking stories, transformable characters and glimpses into imaginary landscapes, the collective focuses on the transformative powers of the self and the urgency for collective growth and radical care. Symbiotic togetherness is the central theme and method in the creation processes of projects that
are composed of experimental music, visual art and text. The projects initiated suggest the queering of relationships and kinship and weave personal stories into collaborative, performative experiences. In their most recent work, Transformative Narratives explore cross-species worlds, re-learning how space is negotiated and community is formed.
www.transformativenarratives.xyz

Lena Kuzmich
Lena Kuzmich (they/them/no pronouns), born in Vienna in 1998, sketches alternative worlds composed of elements of photography and video art. Her work focuses on world-building strategies and the expansion of body and identity in order to present visions of alternative forms of society and life.
The fusion of technology and biological life is a central theme that serves to break up narratives and create space for speculative worlds that attach increasing importance to non-human life in particular.
Lena eclectically collects content from science, art, social theory, pop culture, subcultures and historical myths to create collage-like worlds and new contexts and narratives.

Tony Wagner
Tony Wagner (he/they) is a musician and artist whose work is based on the conception of immersive
soundscapes for introspective listening. In his solo and ensemble pieces, he explores the wide range of sound and emotionality with an experimental approach, without losing sight of the cathartic and transformative capabilities of pop music. Tony’s work ranges from productions under the pseudonyms Tony Renaissance and Bogland, to collaborative works with the duo Snake Boots and the collective Transformative Narratives, to commissions for film, theater, dance and performance, and his work as co-manager and promoter within the music label Tender Matter.