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A STEADY WAVERING TONEA Steady, Wavering Tone

Part 2 of 4 of the Pablo Tenth Anniversary Exhibit Series 

A Steady, Wavering Tone, is a response to Tin F Garcia’s politically-charged A Sovereign Tea Party, the first exhibit in the series. For this exhibit — Pauline’s third solo show — she creates an immersive experience that combines sound, touch, and movement. She rigged Tin’s existing works with mics and sensors (which were done in collaboration with analog synth maker Mark Rambo), turning the works into instruments. Pauline is, in effect, sculpting the atmosphere using her art. With its aural explorations, A Steady, Wavering Tone represents a new direction in Pauline’s art, which used to primarily involve video. 

Whereas A Sovereign Tea Party explored territorial disputes from a distance, A Steady, Wavering Tone makes that conflict more palpable. The two main installations in the exhibit  — “This Lot Is Not For Sale” and “Tao Po” — create live aural feedback whenever the viewer interacts with them. Pauline also scattered pebbles around the works, which recalls the practice of scattering stones around private property to deter intruders. By creating pieces that respond to the viewer’s movements, Pauline brings a strong, visceral currency to the space. 

The sound could be interpreted as warning sirens, or calls to action. Or signals for help. When the viewer moves away, the sound dies down. This presents an interesting dilemma: that urgency relies on a person’s proximity to become palpable, to become real. 

A Steady, Wavering Tone runs from March 2 to 23, 2019 at Pablo Gallery - The Fort. The gallery is located at Unit C-11, South of the Market Condominiums, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. 

About the Pablo Tenth Anniversary Exhibit Series 

A Steady, Wavering Tone is the second in a series of exhibits that celebrates Pablo Gallery - The Fort’s tenth anniversary. The series will feature four artists: Pauline Despi, Auggie Fontanilla, Ivan Despi, and Tin F Garcia. Each exhibit will run for three weeks, after which the next artist will add their own exhibit to the gallery. 

The artists take cues from each other’s works, which adds an improvisational quality to the series. Pablo’s Tenth Anniversary Exhibit series isn’t just a string of solo exhibits — nor is it a group exhibit, per se. With the artists bouncing ideas off each other and modifying the space as the series progresses, the result is an evolving exhibit.