The Society for the Activation of Social Space through Art and Sound (SASSAS)

The Society for the Activation of Social Space through Art and Sound (SASSAS) is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that serves as a catalyst for the creation, presentation, and recognition of experimental art and sound practices in the Greater Los Angeles area.

SASSAS members are dedicated professionals interested in the intersections between experimental art, architecture and music practices. To create programs that encourage social interaction between these diverse but related creative practices, Los Angeles artist Cindy Bernard initiated the “sound.” concert series in 1999. In addition to facilitating relationships between diverse groups of musicians, the series guaranteed fair compensation for artists and provided a suitable location for focused listening, one of the few ongoing experimental music series to do so in Los Angeles at that time. In 2000, “sound.” moved to the MAK Center for Art and Architecture (R.M. Schindler House - Kings Road House) in West Hollywood [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/75808024.html?dids=75808024:75808024&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+22%2C+2001&author=JOSEF+WOODARD&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=1&desc=MUSIC] . The indoor/outdoor nature of the Schindler House enables audiences to experience the fusion of numerous experimental forms within a seminal example of Modern architecture. Building on the success of “sound.”, SASSAS was incorporated and a Board of Directors formed in 2002. Starting in 2004, SASSAS developed partnerships with larger venues such as REDCAT and the Ford Amphitheatre, bringing even greater exposure to the Los Angeles experimental community. To date, more than 40 concerts have been presented including performances by Pauline Oliveros, James Tenney, Nels Cline, Petra Haden, Wadada Leo Smith, Kelan Phil Cohran, Roscoe Mitchell, Joseph Jarman, Harold Budd, Glenn Branca, Tetuzi Akiyama and many others.

In addition to producing concerts, SASSAS maintains an extensive public on line archive of recordings of past concerts.

References

*Woodard, Josef, " [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/75808024.html?dids=75808024:75808024&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+22%2C+2001&author=JOSEF+WOODARD&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=1&desc=MUSIC This Old Sonic House] ", "The Los Angeles Times," 2001-07-21

External links

* [http://www.sassas.org Official SASSAS website]
* [http://www.soundnet.org/sound Bibliography of reviews and articles on SASSAS and the sound. concert series]
* [http://www.soundnet.org/concerts The sound. concert archive]
* [http://www.youtube.com/sassasdotorg SASSAS @ YouTube]
* [http://www.myspace.com/soundnet SASSAS @ MySpace]