ACHE(āk)

GSA Degree Show, The Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, 2016


Ache is composed of an audio piece designed to be activated by motion sensors and sounded out via Tannoy speakers. The audio is a collaboration with voiceover artistAndy Turvey, also the voiceover at the self-checkout tills for UK supermarket group Tesco.

I was first interested in working with Andy from my frequent trips for my groceries at the Tesco on Sauchiehall Street, and how each time I haven’t managed to scan an item, this voice always tells me it’s an error and that the fault had to lie with me.


I wondered what it would be like for it to be turned around so this voice could say sorry.

I located Andy and managed for him to record a series of apologies first from the seemingly mundane to wider/political happenings around the world. They include:
I’m sorry, unexpected item in bagging area
I’m sorry, I missed your birthday
I’m sorry, I’m not Adele” 
I’m sorry, we are not accepting refugees 
I’m sorry, he called you a terrorist sympathizer

In the process I also found out that Tesco had hired Andy Turvey in early 2016 to replace the original recording by a woman throughout all counters in the UK due to complaints from shoppers that they found the voice ‘naggy’.

The performance reading relates my personal encounters of microaggressions being read to in a whispered voice. The work tries to link a personal voice with that of a public, widely located voice to question issues of representation and legibility.