Posthuman Studies Lab
Ana Ruiz Valencia
Ana Ruiz Valencia is a Colombian performer/improviser, curator and researcher living in Medellin and Bogota. Her experimental sonic work moves between classical tradition, free improvisation, and contemporary music. As a curator, Ana is interested in contemporary artistic practices, particularly those related to aural culture, and philosophy and politics of sound. She is co-author of Charles Fréger – Cimarrón: Freedom and Masquerade (Thames & Hudson, 2019) and was part of the curatorial team at the 45 Salón Nacional de Artistas, in Colombia. She currently serves as Curator at the Universidad de Antioquia's Museum, MUUA, curator of Auditum Festival, and co-director of the experimental music ensemble Doble Cero Carnicero and Bruitcollage label.
Sounding the Continuum
With a background in music performance and museum studies, my work deals with the role of language and communication in the creation of intersubjective realities. I assume language in a broad sense: textual, sonic, spoken, musical, mathematical, and/or body languages are intertwined, looking to unveil the intangible structures sustaining what we perceive as real. Sound functions as my main material of expression as much as the sonic experience constitutes my philosophical approach to the world. I approached noise both from a sonic and an epistemological perspective, especially around the notion of ruido pasito (soft noise).
Recently, I became interested in sound performances that exceed the musical experience and the concert hall. This has taken me to exhibition venues, creating solo or collaborative performances that build up fictional narratives through translation, interpretation, and imitation. As a curator, I am interested in establishing links and conversations with artists, both through experimental processes and exhibitions at non-traditional venues. My curatorial and research projects are currently connected to the idea of domestication as a powerful and violent —yet silent— form of oppression.