Making Space
Full Circle: Sounds of Bali | Deen Lim
Working with ambisonic and multichannel recording techniques, Deen gathered material from gamelan and Kecak performances, temple ceremonies, jungle environments, rice paddy ecosystems and volcanic landscapes. The recordings capture atmosphere and the textures of daily life, documenting traditions and ritual practices.
Deen will be developing his composition as a spatial work during the residency using a 8.2 multichannel speaker system set within Fabrica's space. It is conceived as a work that ‘envelops visitors’, by inviting them into a listening experience in which their movement shapes what they hear. Sounds of bronze and bamboo percussion, chanting voices, choruses of insects and birds, water and wind surround and shift, creating a physical sense of place that unfolds over time. Deep listening sits at the heart of the encounter, encouraging slowness, presence and sensory awareness, asking participants to notice how their positioning and engagement create a unique auditory perception of the piece.
Deen Lim explains that the idea for the work began twelve years ago. ‘What began as an investigation into musical form became an encounter with a cosmology in which the visible and invisible exist in constant dialogue. In Bali, daily offerings, recurring rites and communal obligation sustain a deep relationship between belief and action; these duties are practised because society at large demands their continuation. As someone of mixed British/Chinese-Malay heritage, I have navigated questions of cultural identity without equivalent structures of collective belonging. Witnessing this was both revelatory and confronting. The material recorded during this time of discovery will occupy a deconsecrated church, originally constructed for its own acts of congregation and devotion. The symmetry is unplanned but undeniable’.
The project is supported by a Developing Your Creative Practice grant from Arts Council England.
Events:
Wednesday 8 July
4-7pm: the work-in-progress installation will be open to visitors.
Free entry (no booking required)
Thursday 9 July
4-6pm: the work-in-progress installation will be open to visitors.
Free entry (no booking required)
Thursday 9 July
6.15 - 7.30pm Artist Talk + Q&A
Tickets £6/£4 – booking required - more information and booking link coming soon
About The Artist
Deen Lim is a Brighton-based sound artist working with field recording, composition, and spatial audio. His practice explores how sound shapes perception, drawing from natural, urban and imagined sonic environments to create work that blends documentation and abstraction. Rooted in attentive listening, his process moves from field to studio, documenting ritual performances, environmental soundscapes and musical traditions, then editing and processing these into immersive installations. His work examines heritage and collective experience, re-contextualising sound to reveal how meaning and place live in what we hear.
Artist Residencies
The Making Space residency at Fabrica offers artists four days in the gallery to develop, test, or present new work to a focused audience. Beyond the space itself, the residency includes curatorial, audience development, and marketing support, with planning and dialogue often beginning months in advance. These ongoing conversations with Fabrica's team help shape the artist's presentation, audience engagement, and the overall experience of the work in the gallery context.
“I first recorded Kecak in Bali twelve years ago and was mesmerised by its complexity; a traditional dance accompanied by over 50 voices building intense interlocking rhythmic patterns. I knew then that the concentric formation of the performers would be perfect for a spatial listening experience. The question persisted – how would it feel to experience this from the centre? It would be over a decade before I had the means to find out. DYCP funding made it possible to return. After weeks of developing trust within the community, I gained permission to place my microphone inside the circle.”