Audio-Visual Performancesالعروض السمعية والبصرية
OctoberRegistration
RequiredLocation:A1 Space
fanaa (فنا fanā) is a mystical concept, meaning "passing away" or "annihilation" (of the self): to die before one dies. This audiovisual journey interweaves elements of Persian calligraphy, mystical philosophy and generative art, entrancing into a poetic journey. In their artistic practice, Homami is committed to cinema as poetry and poetry as cinema. The visuals interweave elements of Persian calligraphy and generative art based on natural phenomena. The musical dramaturgy leads the audience through a rapidly shifting landscape of tonal scenes. Haunting synthesizer patches hum in a space of ambiguity between lush vibrancy & asepsis. fanaa presents a score in which cinematic ambience, punctuated with chasmic deep bass, gives way to a multiverse of intense, atmospheric, and industrial-flavored minimal dark techno interludes that at times feels both organic & mechanical. fanaa is inspired by 12th century Persian-Sufi poet Attar’s book The Conference of the Birds. The story unfolds through four chapters of Arrival, Dissolution, Absolute Nothingness, and Rebirth. fanaa represents a breaking down of the individual ego and a recognition of the fundamental unity of all that exists within the individual self.
SpaceTime Helix is an A/V performance with an opto-acoustic instrument that I designed in 2011 and performed since then all around the world. With this instrument, I explore helical symmetries and infinity, frequencies and geometry, elementary particles and quantum physics, sonic visions, and perceptions. SpaceTime Helix's performance is a play with elementary physics and particles. At the time when the symmetry is broken is the birth of the universe. In my work, I often play with physical and natural phenomena which stimulate the observation and perception of our inner and outer space. This work is a metaphor for the return to the root of things, a dive into singularity, duality, and multiplicity. Examine the weirdness and complexity of the macro and microcosmos and the architecture of the mind and nature. The standing wave, a resonance in a string, is everywhere in nature in ancient science and in modern science. 2500 years ago Pythagoras invented the musical scale of frequencies and predicted that stars and planets move as in harmonic oscillation. He called it “Harmony of the Spheres”. Quantum mechanics is a theory from about 100 years ago, and in quantum mechanics, the standing waves are for the energy levels of the particles. String theory is a very recent theory from the 1970s, also called ' the theory of everything ’. In String theory particles themselves are just vibrations in small multidimensional strings. Every harmonic of the string is another type of particle. So standing waves and vibrating strings are really fundamental in our understanding of the world and the universe.
Tanween (dual vowel marks in Arabic, symbolising harmony) invites one to an intersectional experience of traditional and immersive. The piece delves into the heart of tradition, exploring the harmonious blend of frequencies, rhythm, geometry, and gesture. In this immersive experience, Emirati sound artist, Safeya Alblooshi, expands the textural limits of modular synth-infused soundscapes. Iranian new media artist, Amir B Ash, weaves visuals that resonate with the gestural and spatial dimensions, diving deep into singularity, duality, and multiplicity. Together, Tanween unravels the intricate tapestry of the macro and microcosmos, exploring the very architecture of mind and nature of gestural and harmonic performance rooted in tradition.
James Kelly’s music explores the remixing of vinyl using DJ scratch techniques for the creation of new music. The piece Vinyl Minimalism takes his compositional approach in new directions by utilising a disc cutting lathe – a machine which is traditionally used in the manufacture of records. The mechanism and limitations of the lathe itself are used as an artistic tool to shape the music. The performance is created using three turntables to mix music which Kelly has cut to vinyl using a range of experimental disc cutting techniques that alter the timbre of sound recordings. The piece is presented as an audio visual performance where VJ loops and live video feeds are mixed together making elements of the compositional process accessible to the audience.
Mina Signifiers interlaces delicate manipulations of field recordings from Mina Zayed (Abu Dhabi) via modular synths with resonant textures and harsh drones.
"Off The Record" is what happens when a composer who's used to following every mainstream guideline finally lets loose. It's like a day off for the creative mind, a chance to mess around without worrying about deadlines or client feedback. It's an instinctual dive into the creative process, a moment to let go and see where the sound takes you.
As part of Festival X, Karim will be playing an improvised set consisting of multiple sequencers and synth voices, all placed in a self-modulating patch of controlled chaos.