Voice Portraits by Giovanna Iorio

VOICE PORTRAITS SPECTROGRAMS BY GIOVANNA IORIO CATALOGUE OF THE EXHIBITION THE LEXI CINEMA, LONDON, UK 1 DECEMBER 2019– 5 JANUARY 2020

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Voice Portraits Spectrograms by Giovanna Iorio Voice Portraits is a collection of poets’ voices turned into spectrograms. Every voice is unique and each person’s voice is as distinctive as a fingerprint. Even if we can’t prove it, it is very unlikely to come across two different people who have identical voices. The exhibition Voice Portraits is a personal tribute to the uniqueness of the voice of poets. I believe a voice should never disappear. For this purpose, I have created the Poetry Sound Library, an online interactive map that allows you to find and listen to more than a thousand voices from past and present.

A range of poets have been selected from the Poetry Sound Library, (the first world map of poets voices) which includes nonliving poets, contemporary poets and local poets from Enfield. I have transformed poems read by their authors into visual spectrograms to produce this diverse and unique gallery of voice portraits.

A spectrogram is a visual representation of the spectrum of frequencies of a signal as it varies with time. When applied to a human sound signal, spectrograms become voiceprints, voicegrams. The portraits display the unique voice characteristics of each poet.

Among the poets from the past you will find Anna Akhmatova, Bertolt Brecht, Dylan Thomas, Frida Khalo, Robert Frost, Eugenio Montale, Oscar Wilde, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Boris Pasternak, Wisława Szymborska, T. S. Eliot, Giuseppe Ungaretti.

There are many established or raising contemporary poets such as Abia Dasein (France), Ali Alizadeh (Australia), Antonella Anedda (Italy), Carol Ann Duffy (Scotland), Anna Halberg (Sweden), Anne Carson (Canada), Margareth Atwood (Canada), Charles Bernstein (USA), Chiyo Kithahara (Japan), Dimitry Golinko (Russia), Emmanuelle Sarrouy (France), Gerður Kristný (Iceland), Gili Haimovich (Israel), Ingrid Storholmen (Norway), Iro Ito (Japan), Marino Santalucia (Italy), Pat Boran (Irealnd), Li Zhimin (China), Anna Maria Curci (Italy), Elena Ribet (Italy, Elio Grasso (Italy).

I am delighted to celebrate the voices of “The Enfield Poets” and their twenty years of inspiring activity in the poetical world. Anthony Fisher and Valerie Darville are the founders of this historical group of poets from Enfield. Along with Anthony and Valerie you can see the voice portraits of Irene Richards, Jennifer Johnson, Karina Vidler, Kaye Lee, Rik Wilkinson, Mary Duggan, Ruth Hanchett, Christine Vial, John Snelling and Gwendoline Hartland.

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This is an interactive and multimedia catalogue. Click on the active links to listen to the poet voice and to watch the immersive videos created for the exhibition.

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NON LIVING POETS

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Anna Akhmatova

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Bertolt Brecht

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Dylan Thomas

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Frida Khalo

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Robert Frost

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Eugenio Montale

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Oscar Wilde

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Pier Paolo Pasolini

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Yves Bonnefoy

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Boris Pasternak

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Wislawa Szymborska

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T. S. Eliot

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Giuseppe Ungaretti

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LIVING POETS

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ABIA DASEIN (FRANCE)

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ALI ALIZADEH (AUSTRALIA)

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ANTONELLA ANEDDA (ITALY)

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CAROL ANN DUFFY (SCOTLAND)

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ANNA HALBERG (SWEDEN)

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ANTONELLA RIZZO (ITALY)

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LIDIA POPA (ROMANIA)

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FRANCESCO RANDAZZO (ITALY)

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ANNE CARSON (CANADA)

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MARGARETH ATWOOD (CANADA)

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CHARLES BERNSTEIN (USA)

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GILI HAIMOVICH (ISRAEL)

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INGRID STORHOLMEN (NORWAY)

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HIROMI ITO (JAPAN)

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PAT BORAN (IRELAND)

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PATRICK WILLIAMSON (FRANCE)

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ELENA RIBET (ITALY)

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IRENE DUBOEUF (FRANCE)

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NADIA CHIAVERINI (ITALY)

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MARINO SANTALUCIA (ITALY)

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EMMANUELLE SARROUY-NOGUÈS (FRANCE)

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ELIO GRASSO (ITALY)

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SARAGEI ANTONINI (ITALY)

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VIVIANE CIAMPI (FRANCE)

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ANNA MARIA CURCI (ITALY)

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THE ENFIELD POETS

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Enfield Poets began life in 2000. Founded by Anthony Fisher, Valerie Darville, and the late Jane Elder, after they were guests at Torriano’s in Kentish Town.

They wanted poetry in Enfield too and, in April 2000, the first evening of poetry was held on the first Saturday of the month in Salisbury House; hence the original name “Salisbury House Poets”. An early Jacobean mansion it was an ideal venue laden with atmosphere. The primary purpose has always been to provide an opportunity for local poets to perform their work in a supportive and sympathetic environment as part of a monthly series of live readings also featuring guest poets. The “Poets from the Floor” in the open mic part of the evening is a favourite and of a high standard.

In about 2014, it moved to the Dugdale Arts Centre in the centre of Enfield Town, where they are “Poets in Residence”, and changed its name to “Enfield Poets”. A popular project is “Poem of the Month” in which an A1 poster of a poem, designed by Jools Barrett, is displayed for one month in the window of the Dugdale. Over the years Enfield Poets has played host to many well-known figures in the poetry world, including Ruth Padel, Elaine Feinstein, John Hegley, U. A. Fanthorpe, David Constantine, John Greening and the current and former Poet Laureates, Carol Ann Duffy and Andrew Motion. As well as poetry, Enfield Poets introduced “Jazz and Poetry” to the Dugdale theatre featuring the Special Edition Quartet.

In addition to its regular evenings of poetry and live shows, Enfield Poets also runs workshops and classes to help local writers develop their knowledge and skills, and the Dugdale Theatre is fast acquiring a reputation as a centre of excellence for creative writing. There is also an associated stanza group, coordinated by Mary Duggan, which meets once a month at the Dugdale Theatre to provide members with friendly and constructive feedback on work in progress. Mary also organises many other events such as the Poets’ Corner which is part of the annual Charter Market Fayre.

In April 2020, Enfield Poets will be holding a literary festival, featuring Simon Armitage, to celebrate their twentieth anniversary.

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Londinium by Anthony Fisher

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Flamingo Concert by Gwendoline Hartland

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Drought-Victoria by Irene Richards

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Feathers by Jennifer Johnson

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Polite notice by Karina Vidler

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Westminster kiss by Kaye Lee

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Like Scissors by Ruth Hanchett

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On War by John Snelling

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Pie and mash shop by Christine Vial

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Condor over the Grand Canyon by Rik Wilkinson

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Unmade bed by Mary Duggan

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Green woman by Valerie Darville

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Giovanna iorio is a poet and sound artist based in London. Her work has been exhibited in UK and Italy. "Voice Portraits" is a collection of poets' voices from the Poetry Sound Library turned into spectrograms. She has selected poets from all over the world, from the past and the present, turning their voices into a multicolored and vibrant gallery of portraits: each voice has created a unique painting for a multi sensorial and fulfilling aesthetic experience of the human voice. Every voice is unique and the voice portraits reveal the beauty of each poem.

To request a voice portrait contact: giovannaiorio96@gmail.com Next exhibition Spring 2020‌

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VOICE PORTRAITS

The Lexi Cinema 1 December 2019- 5 January 2020 194b Chamberlayne Road Kensal Rise London NW10 3JU "Access during cinema opening hours and at other times by arrangement."

“More Than Just Great Cinema” That’s what The Lexi is all about…

Thank you Carin and Zoe! Giovanna Iorio

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Carin von Drehle (The Lexi Cinema)

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Zoe Cooke (The Lexi Cinema)

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