Working document from 《The wind speaks in tongues of undulating waters (…silence sings)》, featuring contributions from Ariel William ORAH (Sōydivision), 邱爻 Ics Altayo QIU, and Christina SCHULTZ; radio SLUMBER 2024
On view from 08 September — 24 November 2024, Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana
radio SLUMBER, an international diasporic collective, began as a series of informal gatherings organised by an ensemble of women artists, activists and academics from the Asian diaspora. Led here by Zoénie Liwen DENG, Elaine W. HO, Clara JO, Keman QIU, and Hui YE, radio SLUMBER has transformed into a multi-headed practice encompassing sound, writing and discursive spaces centred on the female experience. Since 2020, the collective exploration navigates the intricate web of shared affinities and backgrounds, converging at the undeniable struggles embedded in diasporic histories. By recognising the complexity of connections, their work steers clear of straightforward categorisation.
The collective’s practice prioritises care work; the creation of safe spaces for intimacy, playfulness, reparation and resilience; and reflection upon how friendships can be leveraged to counteract the dominant capitalist paradigm. Invited to participate in the pre-biennial research process, radio SLUMBER met with and learned from cultural practitioners from Barcelona who have experienced marginalisation. Together, they spoke about resistance, solidarity and forms of connectivity. The collective’s research informed their creation of a tent-like support structure for Manifesta 15, comprised of printed textiles and audio recordings from the radio SLUMBER coven and their invited guests. The structure constitutes an intimate temple for shelter and protection. In the spiritual sanctuary that is the 1,200-year-old Monastery of Sant Cugat, the collective proposes an alternative set of prayers, spells and incantations that can provide unconventional possibilities for healing in these uncertain times.