D+TM #39 Alexandra Murray-Leslie [Chicks on speed]

Alex presents a 2 hour lecture on her research into sounding foot-aparatus to audio/visually aestheticise the human body and theatricalise performance.  The lecture crosses over into her work as core member of the art ensemble Chicks on Speed (founded with Melissa Logan in 1997 behind the Munich Art Academy) and the group’s repertoire of OBJECTINSTRUMENTS (self Made musical instruments). Chicks on Speed’s mix of performance art, fashion, collaged media and pop music make for a critical push for the remixing of popular culture and politically engaged practice, with all ingredients playing an important role in the bigger gesamtkunstwerk that is Chicks on Speed.

Alexandra Murray-Leslie born in Sydney Australia, is co-founder of Chicks on Speed, an internationally renowned art ensemble and currently undertaking a PhD at Creativity and Cognition Studios, The University of Technology, Sydney. Alex’s practice based research is based on Fashion Acoustics: bodycentric musical instrument design for the feet for live-art performances.

 

Chicks on Speed have ​​collaborated with Douglas Gordon, Francesca von Habsburg, Yoko Ono, Karl Lagerfeld and Peter Weibel. They have published books, lecture and perform globally at major festivals such as the Venice Biennale and in renowned museums including Bundeskunsthalle Bonn, Centre Pompidou, the MoMA in New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney. Chicks on Speed are represented by Milani Gallery, Brisbane.

 

Alex has published her research widely including: Journal for Critical Studies in Fashion and Beauty, Costume Colloquium 4, Colours in Fashion, 2014, NIME (New Interfaces for Musical Expression), ISWC, International Symposium for Wearable Computers, 2013. Book’s published: “Chicks on Speed, Don’t Art, Fashion, Music” 2010 and “Chicks on Speed: It’s a Project” 2005, Booth Clibborn Editions, London.

Computer enhanced foot-wearables for arial dance, by Alexandra Murray-Leslie in conjunction with Jeff Hong, ADM, Nanyang Technological University and NTU, Centre for Contemporary Art, Singapore, 2015.