Voyage to Africa, I

Voyage to Africa, I , 2022

TRT: 90 Minutes

70.25” x 73.75” x 5”

Acrylic, Fabric, Paper, Protein Styling Gel, Oil Stick, Speaker, Mount on Wood Shipping Crate Panel

“Voyage to Africa, I” is a multimedia work. When listened to in its entirety, the audio transmits the sound of my full 20,596,722.47 meter theoretical rowing journey from Point Dume in Malibu, down to Drake’s Passage and up to Elegushi Royal Beach in Nigeria—an 88.29 day trip. The concept embraces the absurd fantasies intrinsic to the voyage of “going back to Africa” and the expectations placed upon the destination. I created the audio by recording numerous clips of myself rowing on a stationary water rower at different speeds, strengths and depths to create a textured listening experience. What you'll hear is a composition of 577 layers of these personal recordings over 90 minutes of total run time, arranged to mathematically result in the full 20 million meter distance. My intention with the arrangement is to simulate a sonic isolation of the rowing and water patterns one might hear if the literal journey was completed and impacted by environmental and physical exertion considerations. The work is a pragmatic effort to get “there,” while positing that much of it is manufactured.

Voyage to Africa, I Map

Leg 1: Point Dume, Malibu, CA down to Drake’s Passage

Leg 2: Drake's Passage

Leg 3: Drake's Passage up to Elegushi Royal Beach, Nigeria