PERFORMANCES

SONIC MUD at The Center For New Jewish Culture

December 12, 2023

Brooklyn, NY

SONIC MUD | ABOVE GROUND album release performance with Julia Elsas, Kenny Wollesen, Kirk Knuffke, Madeleine Ventrice, Doug Wieselman, Rich Stein, Steven Bernstein and Éléonore Weill at the Center for New Jewish Culture. This performance celebrates the unique engagement between contemporary musicians and ancient mythologies of sound.

"New Jewish Culture Fellow Julia Elsas has spent the last nine years exploring the sonic potential of ceramic sculpture. During her time as a fellow, Elsas reimagined the Biblical musical instrument referred to as the “Ugav.” Contemporary interpretations of the Ugav describe it either as a reed or stringed instrument, while others interpret it as a pipe, end-blown flute, water organ, harp, or simply a love charm. Elsas brings the Ugav to life by creating playable sonic sculptures that are then activated by SONIC MUD, a band of professional musicians. SONIC MUD musicians play a range of ceramic flutes, drums, natural trumpets, shakers, clayrimbas, rain machines, water whistles and more, all hand-built by Elsas, with each performance a unique improvisation on the richly resonant and earthy sounds of clay.”

Photos by Weird Hours.


SONIC MUD at The Bo Bartlett Center

September 15, 2023

Columbus GA


Performance with Julia Elsas, Kenny Wollesen, Kirk Knuffke and Madeleine Ventrice at the at The Bo Bartlett Center for the opening reception of “Unstuck in Time: St. EOM, Pasaquan, Here, Now”, curated by The Fuel and Lumber Company.

"Unstuck in Time: St. EOM, Pasaquan, Here, Now" is an exhibition that showcases a diverse group of artists and artistic media. From painting to music and from sculpture to ceramics, the artists were carefully selected not only for their visual resonance with St. EOM's work but also for their shared vision, dedication to their craft, and belief in the power of art to transcend the present and open portals to new possibilities and worlds. The participating artists include Ryan Akers, David Onri Anderson, Merrilee Challiss, Julia Elsas, Erik Frydenborg, Leia Genis, Sonya Yong James, St. EOM, Robert Morgan, New Future City Radio (Damon Locks and Rob Mazurek), Sarah Peters, Sonic Mud (Julia Elsas, Kenny Wollesen, Kirk Knuffke, Madeleine Ventrice), and Sergio Suarez.

Photos by Amy Pleasant. Read about the exhibition and our performance in Salvation South.


SONIC MUD at Pasaquan

September 16, 2023

Buena Vista, GA

Performance with Julia Elsas, Kenny Wollesen, Kirk Knuffke and Madeleine Ventrice at the at Pasaquan for the opening reception of “Unstuck in Time: St. EOM, Pasaquan, Here, Now”, curated by The Fuel and Lumber Company.

"Unstuck in Time: St. EOM, Pasaquan, Here, Now" is an exhibition that showcases a diverse group of artists and artistic media. From painting to music and from sculpture to ceramics, the artists were carefully selected not only for their visual resonance with St. EOM's work but also for their shared vision, dedication to their craft, and belief in the power of art to transcend the present and open portals to new possibilities and worlds. The participating artists include Ryan Akers, David Onri Anderson, Merrilee Challiss, Julia Elsas, Erik Frydenborg, Leia Genis, Sonya Yong James, St. EOM, Robert Morgan, New Future City Radio (Damon Locks and Rob Mazurek), Sarah Peters, Sonic Mud (Julia Elsas, Kenny Wollesen, Kirk Knuffke, Madeleine Ventrice), and Sergio Suarez.

Read about the exhibition and our performance in Salvation South!


SONIC MUD at Jewish Museum of Maryland

March 26, 2023

15 Lloyd Street, Baltimore, MD

Live musical performance with Julia Elsas, Kenny Wollesen, Kirk Knuffke and Madeleine Ventrice-Knuffke at the at The Jewish Museum of Maryland for the opening reception of Material/Inheritance. Photos by Sid Keiser. Read an exhibition review in Hyperallergic.


SONIC MUD at Printed Matter \ St Marks

September 17, 2022

38 St Marks Place, New York City

Live musical performance at Printed Matter \ St Marks with Julia Elsas, Kenny Wollesen, Mike Irwin, Jessica Lurie and Pam Fleming in conjunction with the launch of artist Tammy Nguyen’s new book, O, published by Ugly Duckling Presse. All instruments were built by Julia except for the double vessel ceramic water whistle (pictured in the first and last performance image), built by Nat Scromov. In last performance image, the ceramic drum was built by Hernan Vargas and the large whistle was built by Carolina Segre. Those three instruments were purchased in July 2022 in Oaxaca City, Mexico at Espacio Comal.


SONIC MUD at Pratt Art Institute

September 20, 2021

The Chapel, Pratt Art Institute

200 Willoughby Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Live musical performance with Julia Elsas, Kenny Wollesen, Kirk Knuffke, Eleonore Weill and Jessica Lurie. Generously sponsored by the Performance and Performance Studies MFA Program.


SONIC MUD at Cooler Gallery

November 10, 2020

Cooler Gallery

22 Waverly Avenue, Brooklyn, NY

Live outdoor musical performance in conjunction with Julia’s solo show Chime Choir. Performers include Julia Elsas, Kenny Wollesen, Kirk Knuffke, Eleonore Weill and Katie Down.


SONIC MUD at Pratt Art Institute

March 2, 2020

The Chapel, Pratt Art Institute

200 Willoughby Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Live musical performance with Julia Elsas, Kenny Wollesen, Mike Irwin, Sae Hashimoto, and Aubrey Smith. Generously sponsored by the Performance and Performance Studies MFA Program and the Department of Humanities and Media Studies.



SONIC MUD at The New School

Women Between the Arts Series, created and curated by Luisa Muhr

February 15, 2020

Glassbox Theater at The New School

55 West 13th Street, NYC

Live musical performance with Julia Elsas, Kenny Wollesen, Kirk Knuffke, Sae Hashimoto, Jessica Lurie, and Aubrey Smith.


SONIC MUD at Relationships

October 27, 2019

920 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY

Live musical performance with Julia Elsas, Kenny Wollesen, Kirk Knuffke, and Mike Irwin.


SONIC MUD at the NARS Foundation

AUGUST 21, 2019

NARS FOUNDATION

201 46 Street, Brooklyn, NY

Live musical performance with Julia Elsas, Kenny Wollesen, Kirk Knuffke, and Mike Irwin.

SONIC MUD at the NARS Foundation takes place during, The Weight of the Temporary, an exhibition curated by Elisa Gutierrez.

Photos by Tara Kim.


SONIC MUD: UGAV NIGHTS

MARCH 28, 2019
BROOKLYN CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC

For SONIC MUD: Ugav Nights, I reimagined a mysterious biblical instrument, the Ugav, through a series of ceramic sculptures. The Ugav is mentioned only four times in the Bible, including in the very first description of musical instruments (Genesis 4:21). Contemporary interpretations of the Ugav describe it either as a reed instrument or a stringed instrument. Possibilities include: pipe, bagpipe, end-blown flute, vertical flute, water organ, panpipe, lute, harp, viola da gamba, or simply, a love charm. 

I consider my sonic sculptures to be fully realized when they are being played. I am grateful for the support of Rabbi Matt Green, The Brooklyn JewsUJA - Federation of New York, The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, and the performers: Kenny Wollesen, Sae Hashimoto, Cyro Baptista, Dalius Naujo, Mike Irwin, and Rich Stein for making this event possible. 


Adding to my Ugav sculptures, some of the musicians have brought their own instruments. Kenny Wollesen brings a selection of his original hand-built instruments or “Wollesonics.”  Cyro Baptista plays ceramic instruments he has collected from around the world. And Rich Stein is playing his Hydra, a modular drum he invented in collaboration with ceramicist Walter Heath. 

Ugav Nights photographs were taken by Valerie Trucchia and Meg Morehouse.


SONIC MUD at BKLYN CLAY

SEPTEMBER 8, 2018
BKLYN CLAY

SONIC MUD: BKLYN CLAY took place during the 2018 Brooklyn Clay Tour.

Brooklyn-based clay artists, Michele Quan, Britt Moseley, Clare Burson and Julia Elsas showcased ceramic sculptures that were played live by musicians Kenny Wollesen, Cyro Baptista, Rich Stein, Doug Wieselman, Clare Burson, and Britt Moseley.

Cyro Baptista and Doug Wieselman played ceramic instruments they have collected from around the world. Rich Stein played his Hydra, a modular drum he invented in collaboration with ceramicist Walter Heath. 

Images below from L to R: SONIC MUD promotional poster by Jennifer Waverek; 7 Bells by Michele Quan; STP 1000: Synthesizer Teapot by Britt Moseley; Black Zither #1 and White Zither #2 by Clare Burson; Ceramic Shakers by Julia Elsas; Clayrimba Julia Elsas; Udu drums by Julia Elsas; Event photos by Julia Elsas and Laura Vogel.


WOLLESONICS & JULIA ELSAS AT FRINGE SALON

JUNE 7, 2017

Kenny Wollesen and Julia Elsas perform an ode to the CaJOMB: the love child of a Peruvian percussion instrument and a beauty salon.


WOLLESONICS & JULIA ELSAS: BASEMENT PERFORMANCES

FEBRUARY 6, 2016
THE DRAWING CENTER

In January and February of 2016 The Drawing Center presented Basement Performances, an event series curated by renowned composer and performer John Zorn. Six cutting edge multi-media performances brought together improvised music with expanded cinema and featured some of Downtown New York’s most adventurous musicians and visual artists including: Okkyung Lee and Andrew Lampert; Raha Raissnia and Panagiotis Mavridis; Bill Laswell; Kenny Wollesen and Julia Elsas (with Akemi Martin and Brian DePasquale); Ela Troyano and Uzi Parnes; and Ikue Mori.

Read an interview with Julia Elsas and Kenny Wollesen here.


JULIA ELSAS AND KENNY WOLLESON: LOVE CHILD

JULY 26, 2015
ORTEGA Y GASSET PROJECTS

Julia Elsas and Kenny Wollesen performed during the closing reception of Love Child, an exhibition curated by Eleanna Anagnos at Ortega y Gasset Projects.


KENNY WOLLESEN AND MARK FELDMAN

APRIL 17, 2015
GOWANUS STUDIO SPACE

Kenny Wollesen (on udu drum and drums) and Mark Feldman (on violin) performed at the opening reception of bite.spit.repeat., the 2014 Gowanus Studio Space Printmaking Residency exhibition.