Posted by: Justin Grotelueschen on May 28, 2005 04:17 PM | Comments (1)

Dr. Lidia Camacho has been affiliated with Radio Educacion in Mexico since 1984. When she took over as general manager, not only did she continue RE's work to greatly expand the development of cultural radio in Mexico, but she founded and still serves as the director of the International Biennale of Radio in Mexico, a celebration every two years of sound art and compelling radio originating in Mexico.

Now if you're like me, you probably didn't think there was much sound art and radio art coming out of Mexico. But we are wrong. Or maybe I'm just wrong. The truth is that the Mexican government doesn't have the money to consistently fund radio art projects, so through the donations of various national institution, and the generous donations of time by speakers and teachers, the Biennial is not only able to exist, but to thrive. Lidia said the biennials have not only proven there are radio artists in Mexico, but that there is an alternative space, an audience with an interest in experimental works via radio transmission. In fact, the university radio station in Mexico City now produces 1/2 hour a week of sound art radio every week. And Radio Educacion broadcast 24 hours of erotic sound poetry this past April (and aired 24 hours international poetry last April).

She talked about her group's work to create a national phonotec (sp.?), AKA a national project to create an archive of sounds from life, freezing areas in time as historical documents. They are currently documenting the state of Chiapas.

And know I/we know.

So we heard an excerpt from the Soundscape of Mexico project, with a thunderous rainstorm, church bells and ghostly urban landscapes. And much more SOUND.

The International Biennale of Radio in Mexico -- the 6th in the series -- is in May 2006, so get your productions ready. She is inviting everyone here (at this conference, and now you) to submit sound art projects, soundscapes, etc., in efforts to create a running dialogues between sound art producers in Mexico and other countries. Rules are at biennialeradio.com.

Time for lunch.

More from Deep Wireless 2005 :
« Gregory gets down: The Play and the Thing | Helen said this: Radio Art in America »

Posted by: Nicholas Smith on November 18, 2005 11:41 AM