Interview
Neil Benezra interviewed by Kristin Poor, September 22, 2020
Neil Benezra is a composer and sound designer for film, museum, gallery, and theater. He is currently a visiting assistant professor and lecturer in the Film and Video, Continuing and Professional Studies department at Pratt Institute. This interview focuses on Benezraâs experiences working closely with Jonas on sound and other technical aspects for various installations.
Transcript
- “Neil Benezra interviewed by Kristin Poor, September 22, 2020 (Interview Transcript).” Joan Jonas Knowledge Base, Artist Archives Initiative, 2021.
Abstract
The interview begins with Benezra explaining how he met Jonas at the Austrian Cultural Center while supervising all of the technical installation aspects for a show curated by Barbara Clausen. The first project he worked on with Jonas was the Queens Museum retrospective in 2004, for which he served as the lead on sound aspects of the show [00:00â02:24]. During this time, Benezra speaks about some of the technical considerations in approaching the sound for the Queens exhibition, describing challenges brought about by the fact that there were so many different artworks so close together in the space [02:25â03:44]. Benezra also explains how Jonas was involved with issues of sound and lighting during that time. He describes what conversations took place, noting that Jonas is very open to making decisions based on technical issues that might arise [03:44â12:27]. This conversation transitions to general discussion about Jonasâs approach to working with sound and the kinds of materials and recordings with which she would approach Benezra. He cites her from-scratch recreation of Juniper Tree as an example [12:29â21:20]. From here, Benezra discusses some of the other installations he has worked on for Jonas (such as her shows at Yvon Lambert) and what it was like to work in Jonasâs studio editing sound. He goes into fine detail about a session where he and Jonas worked on sound edits together [21:22â26:36].
The conversation then circles back to Jonasâs installations, touching on moments when solutions to problems are specific to her work and how she approaches video sound in exhibitions and performance installations with a very clear sense of what she wants [26:40â31:42]. Next, Benezra shares some advice for conservators, installers, and other audiovisual experts who will or may want to install her exhibitions in the future, covering topics such as variations in technology, preservation of technology, and how to troubleshoot sound problems within a museum or gallery [32:51â36:36]. Moving on, Benezra speaks about attending Jonasâs performance The Shape, the Scent, and the Feel of Things at Dia:Beacon and the technicalities of that performance [36:41â41:16]. The interview ends with Benezra recommending other people that the Joan Jonas Knowledge Base should interview [41:21â43:22].