Transmission equipment and antenna on the uppermost deck of the John J. Marchi, Staten Island Ferry.
The FM Ferry Experiment
live broadcast from the Hurricane Level of the Staten Island Ferry
September 14, 15, 20–22, 27–29, 2007
12:00–4:00 pm EST, NYC
Transmission equipment and antenna on the uppermost deck of the John J. Marchi, Staten Island Ferry.
concept and programming by neuroTransmitter
(Valerie Tevere + Angel Nevarez)
On-Air: WSIA 88.9FM
In-Studio: Hurricane Deck of the Staten Island Ferry
Reached via: Whitehall Terminal, 1 Whitehall St., Manhattan
St. George Terminal, 1 Bay St., Staten Island
For eight days in September 2007, neuroTransmitter presented The FM Ferry Experiment, a project which transformed the Staten Island Ferry into a floating radio station, broadcasting out to the NYC region as it continuously traveled between Staten Island and Lower Manhattan.
In 1967, The New York Avant-Garde Festival (1963–1980) founded by Charlotte Moorman, landed on the Staten Island Ferry for 24-hours. In the spirit of this festival, The FM Ferry Experiment integrated broadcast and performance into one of New York’s most traveled public spaces, expanding its architecture out into the airwaves, engaging publics on the ferry and on-the-air.
Live programs consisted of performances, lectures, and conversations that took place on the Staten Island Ferry, and were broadcast along with music, sound, and ambient noise via WSIA 88.9 FM and fmferryexperiment.net.
The FM Ferry Experiment studio on the Guy Molinari Staten Island Ferry. Image features (left to right) Valerie Tevere and Angel Nevarez of neuroTransmitter.
In-studio Performances and Appearances by:
31 Down, Dafne Boggeri, Ralf Homann, Jesal Kapadia & Sreshta Rit Premnath, Tianna Kennedy & Zeke Healy, Emily Jacir & Jamal Rayyis, Edward Miller, School of Missing Studies with Peter Ferko, Brooke Singer & Brian Rigney Hubbard, Sandra Skurvida & Jud Yalkut, Bojidar Yanev
Audio Works by:
Paul Amitai, Julieta Aranda, Fia Backström, Mark & Stephen Beasley, Wiebe E. Bijker, Bik Van der Pol, Nao Bustamante, Paul Chan, free103point9, Wynne Greenwood & K8 Hardy, Maryam Jafri, Hassan Khan, Fabiano Kueva, Brandon LaBelle, Pedro Lasch with Thomas Lasch & Audio Wizards, Cristóbal Lehyt, LIGNA, Lana Lin, Jill Magid with Ed Vas, Naeem Mohaiemen & Salauddin Ahmed (Potash), Antoni Muntadas, Max Neuhaus, Phill Niblock, Carsten Nicolai, Jenny Perlin, Cesare Pietroiusti, Radio Sonideros (Sara Harris, Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, Keren Ness, Clare Robbins), Steve Roden, Marina Rosenfeld, Kristen Roos & Jackson 2Bears, Martha Rosler, Scanner, Hanna Rose Shell & Luke Fischbeck, Xaviera Simmons, Jason Simon & CSI/CUNY Cinema Students, Skyline, Judi Werthein / Leandro Tartaglia
plus further socio-spatial experimentation, conversations, news bulletins, music, archival broadcasts, and sing-alongs…
Press and Links:
Bidoun Magazine
eFlux
New York Times
New York Magazine
Time Out New York
Wave Farm
free103point9
Metro
The Daily Star
Staten Island Advance (9/13)
Staten Island Advance (9/15)
FM Ferry Poster
View from the top outer deck of the Staten Island Ferry.
Floorplan of the hurricane deck of the Molinari class ferries. Areas marked in yellow were delegated to neuroTransmitter for radio station and performance use.
The FM Ferry Experiment studio on the John J. Marchi Staten Island Ferry. Image features (left to right) Angel Nevarez of neuroTransmitter, and ferry rider Sheria Washington singing on-air; friends/ferry riders listening in.
The FM Ferry Experiment studio on the Guy Molinari Staten Island Ferry. Image features (left to right) on-air guests Emily Jacir and Jamal Rayyis.
The FM Ferry Experiment studio on the John J. Marchi Staten Island Ferry. Image features (left to right) Valerie Tevere of neuroTransmitter and on-air guests Shreshta Premnath and Jesal Kapadia.
The FM Ferry Experiment studio on the Spirit of America Staten Island Ferry. Image features (left to right) on-air guests Jud Yalkut* and Sandra Skurvida. (*Yalkut was the New York Avant-Garde Festival Film Programmer from 1967 through its final version. The 1967 festival was held for 24 hours on the Staten Island Ferry).
The FM Ferry Experiment studio on the John J. Marchi Staten Island Ferry. Image features (left to right) on-air guest Alex Matthiessen of Riverkeeper and ferry rider listening in.
Tianna Kennedy and Zeke Healy perform a 24-minute marathon for passengers live on the Staten Island Ferry as it moves across Upper New York Bay.
James Sorrenti, CSI/CUNY student, recording ambient sound on the Staten Island Ferry.
Ryan Holsopple of 31 Down performing “Innocent Eavesdropper” live on the Staten Island Ferry as it moves across Upper New York Bay.
Statue of Liberty view from the Staten Island Ferry.
Staten Island Ferry Hurricane Deck architectural schematic/wall sign.
The FM Ferry Experiment studio on the Guy Molinari Staten Island Ferry. Image features (left to right) on-air guests Ralf Homann, Angel Nevarez and Valerie Tevere of neuroTransmitter, and Hanna Rose Shell, invited artist.
Staten Island Ferry crew preparing for boat to arrive at St. George, Staten Island dock.
The Staten Island Ferry John J. Marchi leaving the St. George, Staten Island dock.
neuroTransmitter — Initiated in 2001 by Angel Nevarez and Valerie Tevere as a project whose work fuses conceptual practices with transmission, sound performance, and mobile broadcast. The work re-articulates radio in multiple contexts considering new possibilities for the broadcast spectrum as public space. Projects, performances, and exhibitions include: The New Museum, NY; WUNP, unitednationsplaza, Berlin, Germany; The Contemporary Museum, Baltimore; viafarini, Milan, Italy; The Anna Akhmatova Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia; Govett Brewster Museum, NZ; Centre d'Art Passerelle, Brest, France; and Museu da Imagem e do Som, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Tevere is an artist and Professor of Media Culture at the College of Staten Island, CUNY. Nevarez is an artist and musician and teaches at Parsons School of Design, The New School, Manhattan, NY.
WSIA 88.9 FM was founded in the mid-1970s by a group of students at The College of Staten Island, CUNY who ran some wire to the cafeteria and started spinning records. They then applied for a license and have been broadcasting regularly since August 31, 1981. For over 40 years, WSIA has featured a variety of programming, and the CSI students who run the station are committed to the new and innovative, and serving the Staten Island and the Greater New York community. WSIA broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week over the air and online at www.wsia.fm.
Project Support and Funding:
The FM Ferry Experiment was produced in cooperation with the New York City Department of Transportation and WSIA 88.9FM; and was made possible in part by The National Endowment for the Arts; The Independence Community Foundation through The Staten Island Project and College of Staten Island Foundation; Lower Manhattan Cultural Council with support of The September 11th Fund; and Franklin Furnace Fund for Performance Art, supported by NYSCA and Jerome Foundation; with sponsorship from free103point9 (aka Wave Farm).
Project Logo and Poster Design: Steve Varga
Production Assistance:
Steven Hager, Vinnie Medugno, Tara Milone, James Sorrenti
Thanks and Acknowledgements:
Mirella Affron, John Angelo, Kenneth Bach, Keith Bray, Roseann Caruanna, Jeanine Corbet, James DeSimone, Peter Dorsey, Richard Flanagan, Ben Fischer, Jeanne Garrity, John Garvey, Hendrik Gerrits, Carlos Gutierrez, Erika Hellstrom, Wayne Hodge, Galen Joseph-Hunter, John Ladley, Adam Kleinman, Lena Marinaro, Amanda McDonald Crowley, Ricardo Miranda Zúñiga, Valeria Mogilevich, Alberto Mojica, Mary Ellen Obias, Alex Rivera, Tom Roe, Virginia Tevere, Richard Truitt, ubuweb, Steve Varga, Anton Vidokle, Judi Werthein, Cindy Wong, Alex Zachary, Dolores Zorreguieta
Very special thanks go out to the WSIA Staff and Board, the New York City Department of Transportation, our families, the Department of Media Culture CSI/CUNY, and contributing artists and guests.
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