Archives: The sounds of botanical desire - Anushka Tay

Technecast

During her artist-residency at the Archive of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, Anushka Tay composed a series of music inspired by 19th century plant collection in China. She created four multi-layered, textured pieces which range from an instrumental piano solo evoking Orientalism, to a spoken-word poem collaged with field recordings that she took around Kew Gardens during the summer.In this episode of Technecast, Anushka discusses the way that she navigated her instinctive visceral responses to a colonial-era historical archive, as an artist with East Asian heritage. She became sharply aware of the voices of people who had contributed the knowledge preserved in the archive, but who were rarely named or credited in the sources. By moving from text to sound, her responses to the archival materials convey the emotional experience of reading the documents. Through the act of listening, experience the joy and wonder of collecting gorgeous plants, in foreign and unfamiliar lands.You can listen to the full versions of Anushka's pieces on her Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/anushkatay/sets/curious-miscellaneousBrowse the companion website for Anushka's exhibition at the Archive: https://curiousmisc.anushkatay.co.uk/Find out more about the Miscellaneous Reports Collection at the Archive at RBG Kew: https://www.kew.org/science/our-science/projects/miscellaneous-reportsInformation on visiting the Archive at RBG Kew: https://www.kew.org/science/engage/accessing-our-science/accessing-library-art-archives---www.anushkatay.co.ukAnushka Tay is an artist and researcher working across text, textiles and music. Whatever the medium, her work explores a preoccupation with the experiences, textures and shapes of the moving body. She is a Techne PhD Candidate at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London, where she researches Chinese diaspora dress histories through a close study of clothing and jewellery. When she isn’t making things, Anushka enjoys growing flowers in her small garden. She is not a botanist. ---Episode transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i6L5uCafgjl01-cjFuTzLBljnYiRVcsp/view?usp=share_link ---The Technecast is supported by techne DTPEpisode presented/produced by Felix ClutsonTechnecast team: Julien Clin, Felix Clutson, Edwin Gilson, Morag Thomas, Olivia Aarons, Isabel SykesMusic composed and generously provided by Jennifer Doveton