Radio Transmission Ark
Internet-based sound installation
2012
Artist Statement
Radio Transmission Ark is an Internet-based sound art platform created to encourage explorations in locality and self-representation as well as potentials for broadcast art. Coordinated by artists Lindsey Reynolds and Robert Peterson, Radio Transmission Ark is a collaborative effort made up of many artists and citizens all of whom are essential to the vitality and resonance of the RTA program.
The first installment of RTA took place in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington DC in January 2012. The Honfleur Gallery hosted us for a month-long residency culminating in a group show that opened on January 13 and evolved until its closure in late February. The openness and accessibility of an Internet platform allowed us to broadcast local stories and music to a global audience. RTA worked with a diverse range of residents and discussed everything from the Underground Railroad and Go-Go music to city planning and the mass of the human brain. We worked closely with young adults from the Hirshhorn Museum’s Art Lab and frequently featured their music and stories as a part of our daily broadcasts. Booklets featuring the photographs, hand-drawn maps, and field recordings from the Honfleur residency have been collected by the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum.
A great success the first time around, Radio Transmission Ark returned to Anacostia on march 25, 2012 to teach a course with Knowledge Commons: DC. We led a group of public servants, artists, and urban explorers on a tour of the city via the 90 Bus route. The bus became an observatory for examining our surroundings. The ephemera, writings, and photographs from our day-long nano-residency will be published as a small book and redistributed to class members.
Biography
Robert Peterson is an artist originally from Louisiana. His work typically manifests itself as mixed media, document based performances and installations. He works in film, sound and book arts mainly. His main interests are cultures in peril, architectural history, southern music and art history and biodynamic farming.
Website
RTA on Tumblr
