White Masks
Great Hall, Goldsmiths, University of London
Thursday 24th November 2016, 7pm
IMR Public Engagement Grant project
White Masks is a project which revolves around a cycle for cello, live
electronics and resonating masks and that focusses on loss. The project
originated from the collaboration between composer Silvia Rosani and
cellist Esther Saladin. In particular, it refers to the loss people have
to face alone in an increasingly individualistic society and the loss of
communities and music traditions refugees go through when they are forced
to leave their countries. The idea of the artists is to build a community
in the form of objects resonating with 'memories' from the performance of
the cycle, entangled with pre-recorded texts from Frantz Fanon, Samuel
Beckett, Hans-Peter Dürr and Hilde Domin, and the audio contributions
collected from the audiences with which the project will get in contact.
An installation precedes the performance of the cycle and is going to be
set up in the Great Hall so that audio contribution from the audience can
be recorded. These contributions will be integrated in a future
performance of the project, so that the masks will resonate with the
voices of local communities from each of the places where the project has
been performed, hence transforming into a virtual community.
Thanks to the support of the Francis Chagrin Award and to a grant from the
Institute of Musical Research (IMR), it has been possible to organise a
performance of the project at Goldsmiths, University of London, and to
involve other artists. For the performance at Goldsmiths, poet-artist
Lawrence Upton (Athens Institute for Education and Research), John Levack
Drever (Goldsmiths/SPR) and visual artist Inęs Rebelo (alumni) will be
involved. Lawrence Upton and John Levack Drever will perform before the
cycle, while Inęs Rebelo will take care of the visual aspects of the
installation. The project is also supported by the Unit for Sound Practice
Research (SPR) and the Contemporary Music Research Unit (CMRU).
21st November
4 6.30pm (Great Hall): Installation open to the public
Visual artist: Inęs Rebelo; Audio-recording: Silvia Rosani
6.30 7.30pm (Great Hall): Masterclass open to the public
Silvia Rosani and Esther Saladin will present some of the aspects of the
project
24th November
6 6.30pm (Great Hall): Performance
Sound Artist: John Levack Drever; Poet-artist: Lawrence Upton
7 8pm (Great Hall): White Masks, cycle for cello, live electronics and
resonating masks
Music by Silvia Rosani, Rebecca Saunders, Ori Talmon
Cello: Esther Saladin
Live electronics: Silvia Rosani
http://www.the-imr.uk/silvia-rosani
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