ÉMILIE PAYEUR
SEPTEMBER 10 → NOVEMBER 22 2022
This project explores hidden potentials of the electrical activity of a mycelium. Considered a "neurological network of nature", the mycelium serves as a medium by linking the trees and other species together. In God, Émilie Payeur wants to connect herself to the mycelium while making their exchange audibly perceivable. Acupuncture needles are therefore inserted into the mycelium and connected to a system which captures electrical variations and transforms them by modular synthesis. The device is inspired by an electronic musical instrument developed by Finnish inventor Erkki Kurenniemi, the Sexophone (1972).
Born in 1986 in Thetford Mines, Émilie Payeur lives and works in Montréal, Canada. She is a multidisciplinary artist active mainly in experimental music and visual arts. Often described as minimalist and at times harsh, her music is based primarily on no-input techniques and risk-taking. In her visual work, she is interested in traces, which she perceives as remnants of past events or actions, as well as in the sacred, ritual and transcendence. She holds a master’s degree in electroacoustic composition from Université de Montréal, and her work has been presented and recognized in Canada and internationally. Alongside her artistic career, she studies the fascinating world of herbalism.