The invitation by Kunstradio to produce a series of shows raised the question of a common denominator that could tie the pieces together. It was suggested to hold a production meeting for Radia artists to share the initial impulse for the creation of the shows.

As a location for this meeting Radia managed to secure one of the most imposing exhibition spaces in Europe, the Gasometer in Oberhausen. With a height of 117 meters and a diameter of 68 meters it boasts one of the most extreme acoustics of any public building, with ample of natural reverb and delay. Eight artists from five countries spent two nights and one day in and around the giant steel cylinder and began to incubate their ideas which were subsequently finalized in their own studios. Radio art is, in this instance, a function of space.

Opening the Curated by series is a radiophonic analysis of the production of radio art by Knut Aufermann of Resonance104.4fm, “Radio art is what I think it is”:

„How is radio art produced? In this case on the computer, where the recordings from the Gasometer Oberhausen are arranged. Verena Kuni’s sonorous voice is set in contrast to the feedback sounds produced in the Gasometer’s giant metal cylinder. My idea is to incorporate thoughts and decisions that went into the piece, rather than presenting it as a finished entity.

An inspiration for this self-experiment was a radio performance by the avantgarde musician Keith Rowe for Resonance104.4fm in 2002. Whilst performing, he all of a sudden demanded a microphone and started explaining to the listeners why and how he was modulating the sounds on his electric guitar in front of him.

The title of the piece refers to Ed Baxter’s ironic statement ‚Radio art is what I say it is‘.“