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To mark the drop of the music album '3:33:08' by su dance110 & bilwa, co-released by 3087 Records and Venalism, an interdisciplinary fusion was born with the artist Vemo Hang. The sounds of '3:33:08' come to life and occupy space in the form of a 3D sculpture created by Vemo Hang. This conceptual object serves as a sculptural symbol that harmonizes a numerical sequence, inscribed in Chinese: 三:三三:八
This piece comes to life through a hybrid material rich in natural bamboo fibers. As the fibers interact organically with environmental humidity during the printing process, each exclusive item unveils its unique surface and intricate details. When observed from different angles, it sparks an ever-evolving connection with the viewer, ensuring an exploration of different interpretations.
Dan Su (they/them), also known as su dance110, is a Chinese-born Berlin-based performance artist, musician and composer, founder of 3087 Records which is dedicated to Acoustic Movies and their extension to performance and contemporary art. They have both an artistic and scientific background. Vemo Hang (she/her), is a Chinese-born Berlin-based artist who lived in different countries while growing up. Artistically educated in fine arts in the U.S. and later in Switzerland. She also studied art history in Germany.
I decided to catch up with the two artists, Vemo and Su, and delve deeper into the vision behind this collaboration.
“I think nowadays there are so many interesting things going on in the arts and also the extended creative field, and it would be a shame to let those arts be locked within a certain discipline as opposed to letting it flow and "spill over". Coming from a more studio-oriented artistic background, It is only through my recent collaborations with other creatives, I discovered the fact that there are so many similar interests, perspectives, and approaches that I actually share cross-disciplinarily with others.”
DAN SU: In our case, music was first. It all began with the idea of translating the numbers in our album title into a tangible form. Vemo connected with the album's structure and transformed it into the sculptural object featuring the Chinese characters 三：三三：八
VEMO HANG: Dansu approached me with their and their collaborator's music concept. When I began sketching the 3D-printed objects, I only heard some of the album's pre-release sound samples. However, the combination of the seemingly fragmented soundtracks, the sound texture they gave, as well as the concept of the numeric sequence 3338 gave me the inspiration for the final form of the concept object. The collaborative process between me and Dansu, between the making of objects and music was actually surprisingly liberal. When I shared my final design, it instantly resonated with Dan Su and Bilwa. There's something about our shared experience of living far from our original environments that gives us a sophisticated perspective on space and our relationship with it.
SU: In my perspective, music absorbs time, leaving us with only space. I firmly believe that sound, on its own, possesses the ability to tell stories through the moving images of the imaginary, what I like to call 'Acoustic Movies'. Music has the remarkable capacity to encapsulate our memories, transcending the constraints of time.
VEMO: Space is a concept I delve into extensively in my studio practice. However, when it comes to time, it has always felt somewhat abstract to me, and I'm still in the process of comprehending its true nature.
SU: I have a close connection with numbers, having studied statistics while pursuing dance in the US. For me, numbers serve as an inherent abstract tool for crafting the rhythmic structure of a musical or performance piece, akin to how natural landscapes are shaped. At times, numbers also take on symbolic meaning.
VEMO: Personally, I've always been fascinated by the interplay between organic forms and mathematics, not just numbers. This includes exploring how fractals and Voronoi diagrams relate to the natural and spatial patterns found in trees, leaves, cells, waves, and more.
SU: They represent 3:33:08, which is associated with time. In Chinese, 三八 means 'bad women' or 'bitches.' It's also International Women's Day.
VEMO: For me, the crucial aspect is how linguistic symbols can convey meaning that is transformative and open to interpretation.
SU: From my perspective, I'd like to showcase various ways of engaging with music or art in general. To me, performance, art, and music are distinct facets of the same multidimensional coin, all inherently interconnected. By being receptive to these diverse approaches, we uncover fresh aspects of this multifaceted coin. We also develop an appreciation for the holistic nature of a piece of work and learn to engage with it in a different way.
VEMO: For me, this object serves as a miniature landscape that forms the foundation for a unique personal experience related to the album. Additionally, the fact that the object can be held, turned, touched, played with, or observed adds an extra layer of personal interaction to the object.
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