olive theory

July 2019

olive theory, consisting of performing artists Stefan Nazarevich and Shion Skye Carter, used their time at What Lab as an incubator to continue research in developing their installation/performance, in preparation for a premiere of the project in October of 2019. Exploring sensory experiences through transducers and contact microphones attached to a web of wires, this work exists at the intersection of live sound, embodied performance, and installation art.

The What Lab studio itself was a key component in how this project took shape, as the installation, which is a custom-made instrument, will increase in scale, filling up the space. As the materials used to build this installation were expanded in their use and capabilities, olive theory formulated a structure for the performance, with both artists interacting with the instrument to produce sound.

olive theory is an interdisciplinary duo formed by performing artists Stefan Nazarevich and Shion Skye Carter. Their work investigates the roles that artists conceive for themselves, in an ongoing attempt to re-define these roles. This includes not only cohabitating a space as equal partners and performers instead of “dancer” and “musician”, but also sharing that space with technology. By negotiating the act of being together in one space at one time, technology itself takes on a role as a performer, as demonstrated in their debut performance Tripwire (2018). Their current work-in-progress will be developed during the Artist Residency at What Lab in Summer 2019. Through building their own structural spaces and instruments, Shion and Stefan seek to forge a higher level of intimacy with each other, and the materials they work with.