TRANSMISSION ART ARCHIVE

Montreal Audio Placebo Transmission

2021, 59:37 min
Audio Placebo Plaza

In its first iteration, Audio Placebo Plaza (the collective project of artists Erin Gee, Julia E. Dyck, and Vivian Li) occupied a storefront in Montreal’s Plaza Saint-Hubert for seven days in June 2021 as part of Undefine Radio’s pop-up gallery and pirate radio station. Curated by Martín Rodriguez and Emmanual Madan, this larger project convened “a series of radio interventions under the theme of ‘bodies in resonance.’” Through a series of bespoke compositions, Audio Placebo Plaza explored the promise of therapeutic sound, drawing on everything from ASMR to Muzak. In this hour-long selection from Audio Placebo Plaza’s week of transmissions, the artists first consult with a visitor in order to tailor a custom “placebo” to the visitor’s auditory needs. These appointments were broadcast through Undefine’s FM transmitter, along with the finished placebos – such as the one that appears in the final stretch of the recording. - Described by Wave Farm Radio Artist Fellow 2021/2022, Andy Stuhl.