a flower grew out of the ocean

2023 — Lili Maya + James Rouvelle collaboration.

“Someone fond of paradoxes, sufficiently stubborn and guided by belief, could go on doubting that the ocean was a living being. But it was impossible to deny the existence of its mind, whatever could be understood by the term. It had become quite clear that it was only too aware of our presence above it…” 
“But what am I going to see?”
“I don’t know. In a certain sense it depends entirely on you. It’s visioning seems symbiotic, a form of communion: what you see is created from what it can see in you and what you are willing to know about both yourself and its consciousness.”

A flower grew out of the ocean is a music/sound/spoken text/media performance in four parts premiered on October 21, 2023 at the Crypt below the Church of the Intercession on W155th St, NYC. The text was excerpted from Stanislaw Lem’s Solaris.

Each section of the work is timestamped and the timestamps are visible by mousing over the timeline of the video.

Performers:
Handmade Electronic Instruments: Lucas Yasunaga (yasunaga.work/)
Vocalists:  
Hilary Baboukis (hilarybaboukis.com/)
Holly Druckman (druckmanholly.com/)
Live Video Projection Lili Maya (mayarouvelle.com)
Electronic Music/Composition: James Rouvelle (mayarouvelle.com)

Documentation by:
Azmi Mert Erdem (azmimerterdem.net)
Michael Wilson (michaelcoachandphoto.com).

For the text excerpts and more information visit: mayarouvelle.com/a-flower-grew-out-of-the-ocean/

it happens like this

2023 — dimensions variable — digital print [original work / video installation image]

…the first thing to say is that the in-front-of-me dimension does not exist as such, since immediately below me there opens the void, which then becomes the sea which then becomes the horizon which then becomes the sky…” Calvino

We have an upcoming performance on Saturday, December 2, 7:30pm 
at *The Montauk Club in Prospect Heights Brooklyn.

Indeterminacy Society / Stanzi Vaubel, Artistic Director presents:

It happens like this
Music | Media | Sound

Lili Maya, Video Installation
James Rouvelle, Electronic Music
w/ special guest on cello

*The Montauk Club is private. If you’d like to see the show please contact us and we’ll put you on the guest list.

For additional information and audio clips click here.

Dioicus, pt. 1

2023 — Lili Maya and James Rouvelle collaboration.

Music composition and performance / James Rouvelle
Video / Lili Maya

Dioicus derives from a Greek term meaning “of two houses”. Musically, the individual pieces are Polytonal – i.e, based on relationships between different scales derived from different fundamental tones that occur simultaneously. James’ entry point to scale development was Erv Wilson.

The synth patches have varied degrees of generative capability – meaning they can make some decisions on their own based on input (pitch, expressive gestures, etc.). James’ intention was to develop a responsive system for improvisation. We’re currently expanding the system to incorporate visuals, so that I will be able to similarly improvise with my visual language via a responsive agent.

inland

2023 — dimensions variable — digital print [original work / pencil, thread on paper]