Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
SightSoundSystems Festival of Art and Technology
General material designation
- Multiple media
- Graphic material
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Series
Repository
Reference code
F 128.07
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1967-1968 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
2.5 cm of textual records
1 poster : 28 x 45.5 cm
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
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Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Custodial history
Scope and content
The records relate to the preparation for the musical chess game, the major event of the SightSoundSystems Festival of Art and Technology, presented by the Isaacs Gallery Mixed Media Concerts and Ryerson Polytechnical Institute. Five major events took place throughout the week of March 5 - 10, 1968, including "E.A.T.", "Public Supply", "T.E.A.", "Supersystems", and "Reunion" (the musical chess game).
The chess game, whereby the chessboard was wired to produce musical sounds with every move, was played between French artist and expert chess player, Marcel Duchamps and American avant-garde composer, artist, and theorist, John Cage. It was a banner event for the festival and so named "Reunion" by John Cage reflecting a chess game between the then recently formed friends, Cage and Duchamps at a chess exhibit of paintings and sculptures called, "The Imagery of Chess", held in 1944 New York City.
The artistic director for "Reunion" was Udo Kassemets of the Isaacs Gallery Mixed Media Concerts. Don Gillies of Ryerson Polytechnic Institute was the business manager and Karen (Naylor) Mulhallen of the English Department was the producer for Supersystems and who also worked with Darryl Williams on the film environment.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
The records came directly to the Archives from the creator, Donald (Don) Gillies, in 1984.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Partially Restricted. Some or all of the records may be subject to restrictions. Requests for access must be submitted to Archives and Special Collections staff for review.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
A filmed tribute to Marcel Duchamp, which includes still photographs of the chess game, was made in 1972 by Shigeko Kubota, in collaboration with John Cage. The film generally consists of optically manipulated images interspersed with conventional imagery, and commentary by John Cage. A videocassette copy of this film can be found in the Ryerson Library under call #N6853.D8M37 (1974).
Also see the following website :
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mhttp://www.openculture.com/2017/09/when-john-cage-marcel-duchamp-played-chess-on-a-chessboard-that-turned-chess-moves-into-electronic-music-1968.html
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.