An Installation by GenKen Montgomery
Everyone thinks the "gen" before ken refers to generator, the sound art project I started in 1989 or perhaps the record label generations unlimited. The truth is I began using the "gen" prefix 12 years before. It was a typo made spontaneously on an old typewriter. Not wanting to open the white-out and being amused by the the possibilities of a new name, I just left it there. This kind of spontaneity has often inspired me. In 1994 I began using the name "egnekn" for certain projects. Again it was a typo made while writing "gen ken". Three days ago I received a postcard with an invitation to a benefit party for Harvestworks and Tellus and I noticed a typo. It said "Installation by GenKen Montgomery". I was surprised to see GenKen with no space between the "n" and the "K". I always put space there. Second, I was surprised because I hadn't been asked to do anything and yet it appeared I was doing an installation. I wanted to come to the party to hear/see the installation. On friday (yesterday), I received a call and it was explained to me that there had been an error in communication. Someone had told another person that I would do an installation but then they forgot to ask me about it. No matter. These things happen. Even though it was a mistake, my name was on the invitation and so it seemed appropriate that I actually do "an installation". This became solvable to me when I approached the whole matter like a big typo. I could either fix the typo and not hear/see the installation or I could create an installation which would change the typo into an installation. I decided to create an installation called typo/formats. The installation consisted of 4 objects placed on separate placemats, none of which made sounds but each refered to sounds.
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