Jon Tjhia
about, email, ︎: 🍔️ 💎️ 🌵️.
Hey! Thanks for coming by. Here are a few things from the last little while.
Play New: Jaryd Clifford
(Nike/SouthSouthWest, 2021)Narrative audio and composition as part of a cross-media celebration of vision impaired runner Jaryd Clifford and his bond with guide runner Tim Logan
With Ben Birchall, Andy Sargent, Ben Bomitali, Alica Kroupa, Bonnie Moir and … a lot of other people. You have no idea how many people work on these things. (Film is mind-boggling). The nice photo above is by Sam Wong. Sorry for ruining your photo by adding the tile artwork, Sam 😰️
The Museum of Us
(Arts Access Victoria / Victoria Together, 2021)A digital exhibition of 49 Deaf, Disabled and Neurodiverse artists
Over a few months, I worked with artists to assist them in producing digitally accessible pieces for this fully captioned, audio described exhibition, with help from the AAV team (especially Fury). Curated by Caroline Bowditch
The Big Break That Broke Kate
(ABC RN, 2021)Actor Kate McNamara walks us through her big break … down, for the ABC storytelling podcast Days Like These
With thanks to Kate, supervising producer Kyla Slaven, host Elizabeth Kulas, and the Days Like These season three team
Interview #172
(Liminal Magazine, 2021)An nice long conversation with Nathania Gilson for Liminal, with photos by Leah Jing McIntosh
I wouldn’t normally put this kind of thing here, but some day we’ll all be dead, so why not?
Emotional Support Animal
(Darebin Arts, 2021)An interactive narrative essay about applause and the ways we crave to be observed, acknowledged and rewarded. Published in Proximities, a part of Exhibiting Culture Online
Commissioned and edited by Vidya Rajan. Interaction and layout coding by Bec Fary. (Full version works best on a laptop/desktop)
Good Long Time
(Going Down Swinging, 2021)A short story about getting old, getting cold and living forever (or just a little longer, anyway). Published in Going Down Swinging #41: AR Edition.
Edited by Magenta Sheridan. Augmented by augmented reality artist Anneli Goeller. (Read it on a laptop/desktop if you can)
In 41 Extra!, the digital launch of the edition, you can watch a short reading or eavesdrop on a conversation with fellow 41’er Lujayn Hourani
Radio Row
(WFMU, 2020)A 59-minute radio broadcast constructed of smartphone voice memos and audio notes-to-self. Or: what is this sound, and why the hell did I record it?
Thanks to Adalya, Amita, André, Bec, Beth, Connor, Isobel, Ivy, Karishma, Masako, Nicole, Nicola, Pepi and Silvi for sharing their recordings
Horror Vacui
(Making Art Work/Institute of Modern Art, 2020)A multimedia essay about fear of empty spaces, written in collaboration with Mia McAuslan
Commissioned by Alex Holt. An extract appears in the book Making Art Work (IMA, 2021)
Manus Recording Project Collective: where are you today
(Liquid Architecture, 2020)A recording and listening project
Produced in collaboration with Farhad Bandesh, Farhad Rahmati, Samad Abdul, Shamindan Kanapathi, Thanush Selvraj and Yasin Abdallah in Australian immigration detention, and André Dao and Michael Green. Read a dossier of writing about this work in Disclaimer
Division Exercises
(Avantwhatever, 2020)A video essay about delineations, discernments and boundaries
For Avantwhatever’s 2020 artistic programme curated by Ben Byrne
Separation Studies
(LIMINAL, 2020)A multimedia essay about divisions and separations
Edited by Cher Tan for LIMINAL Magazine’s Glitch series
‘Grey-headed Flying Fox Colony’
(Field Recordings, 2020)Ten minutes amongst the bats at dusk in Yarra Bend Park
For Eleanor McDowall’s Field Recordings podcast
Eavesdropping: A Reader
(City Gallery Wellington, 2019)A contribution to the book accompanying the exhibition/investigation
Edited by James Parker and Joel Stern
Thing-Like
(Constellations, 2019)A four-channel sound installation and a podcast commission about the human voice, time and money
Part of the Resonant Bodies project curated by Aliya Pabani, Michelle Macklem and Jess Shane – exhibited at Toronto Media Arts Center and published on Constellations
As Far as the I
(BBC Radio 4, 2019)A short radio feature for an Oulipo-themed episode of the podcast/radio programme Short Cuts
Signal Boost
(Wheeler Centre, 2019–)Developed an inclusion- and experimentation- focussed audio storytelling programme
Participants received $10,000 each in funded learning, tailored mentorship, tools and equipment, practical support and paid work experience
The Empathy Museum: A Mile in My Shoes
(Arts Centre Melbourne, 2019)An audio story about walking through the city of Melbourne and around the Yarra River at night
Presented as part of a rather literal installation in which you could wear … my shoes
Notes
(Wheeler Centre, 2018–2020)A digital publication showcasing award-winning original Australian writing and adventurous multimedia stories
Edited with Sophie Quick
‘Mind the Step: Kinesthesia and Craft’
(Barbican, 2018)An essay about the body as a listening device – drawing on experiences of contemporary dance
Curated by Eleanor McDowall and Nina Garthwaite for the Barbican Centre’s Soundhouse: The Listening Body exhibition and public programme
Manus Recording Project Collective: how are you today
(Liquid Architecture/Melbourne Law School, 2018)An installation built around daily recordings from six men living in Australia’s immigration detention on Manus Island
Part of the Eavesdropping investigation curated by Joel Stern (LA) and James Parker (MLS); shown at Ian Potter Museum of Art, City Gallery Wellington, Gus Fisher Gallery Auckland and Melbourne Law School
Editorial illustrations
(2018–)Miscellaneous
Changes Again
(ABC Radio National, 2017)A story about looking and seeing, breakage and recognition, for the podcast/radio programme Soundproof
The Messenger
(Behind the Wire and the Wheeler Centre, 2017–2019)A podcast based on thousands of voice messages sent by Abdul Aziz Muhamat, a refugee detained on the Australian-run detention centre on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, to Michael Green, a journalist based in Melbourne
With Abdul Aziz Muhamat, Michael Green, André Dao, Bec Fary, Hannah Reich and Sophie Black. Winner of a Walkley Award, NY Festivals International Radio Awards Grand Trophy and several others. No Grammy, but mum says it could still happen
The Interrobang
(Wheeler Centre, 2017)Digital production of a crowdsourced festival of questions – including a publication featuring Sheila Heti, Sam Wallman, Estelle Tang, Toby Fehily and Geoffrey O’Connor
Produced with Connor O’Brien
‘Under and Over and Into and Between’
(Assemble Papers, 2017)A mixtape (and interview) working through minimalism, stretched sounds and various positions on the human voice
Commissioned by Jana Perković
Australian Audio Guide
(2016–2020)Co-founder/editor of a website offering short reviews of Australian podcasts and radio series, and interviews and features about how – and why – they were made
Created in collaboration with Kate Montague
Speed Painters: Bellarine and Bellarine II
(Cutters Records, 2015)Two records alloying slow-burning house music, techno and found sound
A musical group with Tig Huggins, Nick Huggins and Oscar O’Bryan
The Big Prawn
(ABC Radio National, 2015)A short story, written by Katia Pase, about a young girl’s search for her mother and the mythical landmark of her childhood, for the podcast/radio programme Radiotonic
20 Questions
(Wheeler Centre, 2014)Interactive campaign and digital production of statistics-driven live event
With Simon Abrahams, Ian Pidd, Martyn Coutts, Icelab and more
#discuss
(Wheeler Centre/Clemenger BBDO, 2014)Awareness campaign for the Wheeler Centre, bridging digital/physical discussion with 100 temporary/permanent plaques mounted city-wide
With Michael Williams, Pauline O’Brien, Simon Abrahams, Tamara Zimet, Ben Keenan, Ben Birchall, Nathan Rogers, Sharon Adams, Berlin Abraham, Louise Sergent, Kate Little and more
Paper Radio
(est. 2010)A long-running, now intermittent podcast (or journal) publishing fiction and non-fiction from Australia and New Zealand
Created with Jessie Borrelle
That’s all I’ve had time to publish right now. Hm – I wonder what Bryanboy is up to.