In Bibaret, the Jata C group for bioacoustics and sound ecologies has tuned into the world of small non-human animals—specifically invertebrates (such as insects, spiders, and bugs)—using their vocalisations to explore the social, scientific, and artistic perspectives on this crucial and vulnerable group of organisms.
Even today, insects are often portrayed in binary oppositions: useful vs. harmful, cute vs. repulsive, diligent vs. lazy. These dichotomies reveal our attitudes towards invertebrates. Scientific research warns us that these animals are indispensable to our ecosystem, and we should be deeply concerned about their rapid decline. Some data indicates that their population has already decreased by 75 percent. More than half of plant and animal species are currently endangered, with insects faring the worst, which is particularly alarming. Their decline could trigger a domino effect, potentially leading to the collapse of entire ecosystems.
In the composition Bibaret, Jata C transcends the limited social and economic perceptions of insects to emphasise their significance within individual ecosystems while also looking beyond strictly scientific frameworks. The performance humorously juxtaposes scientific knowledge with environmental facts, confronting them with absurd social biases. The artists listen to creatures that undergo complete metamorphosis and cohabitate with other species in complex interdependencies. They utilise auditory cognition to introduce artistic insights in the form of speculative thought and creativity, promoting our close coexistence with bugs and other arthropods.
Jata C invited Tomi Trilar, Ph.D., an established expert on invertebrates and bioacoustics, who is the Head of the Department of Invertebrate Zoology responsible for managing the National Collection of Animal Sounds at the Slovenian Museum of Natural History , to join their collaboration. The biologist provided sounds of select insects from the extensive collection and collaborated with the artists during the conceptual phase of their work. Bibaret incorporates bioacoustic sounds recorded in the field by the artists and utilises the Slovenian National Collection of Animal Sounds, represented by Tomi Trilar, Ph.D.
“Jamamaji (Antheraea yamamai) flutter, flitter, mostly inaudible since they fly with a low frequency – but the sound of their wings flapping against the leaves and branches can be heard… The turning of their chrysalises in the cocoons can be heard as spluttering, the same can be observed in other related species of saturniids – which is why once, when I received a package with chrysalises from another biologist and the postman did not find me at home, so he delivered the shipment to a lady shop owner in my area, they evacuated half of the street residents in my Berlin neighbourhood and called explosives experts, because that lady, who received the package in god’s name, heard the sounds and thought it might be an incendiary device. I could not get directly home on that day as the road was closed for pedestrians and traffic, while the Chief of Police called me a few days later when I returned to explain what has been going on…” (Dr. Boštjan Dvořák)
About the artists:
Jata C [eng. The Flock C] unites artists of common interests that explore bioacoustics and sound ecologies. They employ auditory perception to unite environmental and social themes. In doing so, they use the recordings of the real state of the world as well as speculative projections. The Flock C members are: beepblip, OR poiesis, Boštjan Perovšek, Bojana Šaljić Podešva and Brane Zorman.
beepblip is a sound artist and an archivist. She composes immersive psychogeographic soundscapes with the use of analogue electronics, DIY modular sound synthesisers, field recordings and computer manipulation. Her interest include bioacoutics, experimental music and microtonality. Her album Noise for Strings, Vol. 1 was published in 2019 at Kamizdat netlabel.
OR poiesis is an artist and researcher in the field of sound, sound perception and poetic performance. She expands word in the sonorous spheres of timespace poetry. Besides all digital dimensions, her central interest is the physical presence of the body.
Boštjan Perovšek is a musician, composer and sound designer, he composes experimental electro-acoustic music. His speciality is creating bioacoustic music that is based on the sounds of the animals, especially insects. He also play with the SAETA group, creates music for films, theatre, performances, multimedia installations and soundscapes for museums and galleries.
Bojana Šaljić Podešva spends most of her time as a composer on the research of sound as an entity that affects the listener both physically and through the content; her music thus spans between complete abstraction and complex semantic languages. She received several awards for her concert works, theatre and film music.
Brane Zorman is a composer, sound and intermedia artist, sound manipulator, producer and curator. He composes sound works for theatre, intermedia and dance performances. He performs electro-acoustic solo music and improvisations with local and foreign artists in surround sound. In relation to sound and space, he develops various strategies, techniques, dynamic and interactive modules, records and re-interprets soundscapes and uses sophisticated tools to create electronic and acoustic sound sculptures.
Credits:
Artists: beepblip, OR poiesis, Boštjan Perovšek, Bojana Šaljič Podešva in Brane Zorman
Curated by: Irena Pivka, Brane Zorman
Organisation: Irena Pivka, Jasmina Založnik
Illustration: Vesna Bukovec
Translation and editing: Urban Belina
Public relations: Katarina Radaljac
Production: Cona, Institute for Contemporary Arts Processing, 2019
Partner: The Slovenian Museum of Natural History – Slovenian Wildlife Sound Archive
Venue: Steklenik, Gallery for Sound, Bioacoustics and Art
Live events:
- Jata C (beepblip, OR poesis, Boštjan Perovšek, Bojana Šaljić Podešva, Brane Zorman), concert, @Pixxelpoint Festival, Small Hall of the Cultural Center in Nova Gorica, 11 December 2020
- Jata C: Bibaret JC210120 (beepblip, OR poesis, Boštjan Perovšek, Bojana Šaljić Podešva, Brane Zorman), Cona Zavod live-stream, 21 May 2020, online event
- Jata C: Bibaret JC210120 (beepblip, OR poesis, Boštjan Perovšek, Bojana Šaljić Podešva, Brane Zorman), live sound event, @Steklenik – Gallery for sound, bioacustics and art, Ljubljana, 3 March 2020
- Jata C: Bibaret JC210120 (beepblip, OR poesis, Boštjan Perovšek, Bojana Šaljić Podešva, Brane Zorman), live sound event with a lecture by Manja Ristić: Introduction to Sound & Listening as Psychoenergetic Agencies, @Steklenik – Gallery for sound, bioacustics and art, Ljubljana, 21 January 2020
- Jata C: Bibaret JC210120 (beepblip, OR poesis, Boštjan Perovšek, Bojana Šaljić Podešva, Brane Zorman), exhibition of 8-channel sound installation, @Steklenik – Gallery for sound, bioacustics and art, Ljubljana, 18 January 2020
- Jata C: Bibaret JC170120: beepblip, OR poesis, Boštjan Perovšek, Bojana Šaljić Podešva, Brane Zorman, group performance, Art’s Birthday 2020, @ARS – 3 Programme of Radio Slovenia, Ljubljana and ORF Kunstradio, Vienna, 17 January 2020, 22:50 CET