Incantations

28th Jan 2022 30th Jan 2022 16:00 22:00

Andrius Arutiunian

00:00

silent green

Free (via Betonhalle)

1

  • Andrius Arutiunian

    LT/NL

    Working through hybrid forms of sound, Armenian-Lithuanian artist Andrius Arutiunian often employs hypnotic aural structures, non-Western tuning systems, and sonic vernacular.

    • »Incantations« is a work for voices and a newly-made brass object. It sources Armenian spells and incantations from the city of Moks, as recorded in the 19th century through a secret language of Rushtuni. These spells are a codified attempt to conjure the supernatural, avert bad luck, and deflect misfortune through apotropaic magic. In their raw, oral, and vernacular states incantations bridge a gap between speculative futures and passing realities.

    Photo: Gabriele Miseikyte, 2022

    The one-hour-long piece was recorded in collaboration with Melos New Vocal Music Collective, and runs continuously throughout the day. All of the sound material was generated through the process of voice transmutation into a variety of sonic textures and instruments. »Incantations« is played through a multi-channel speaker system and a six-metre-long brass object suspended from the ceiling. Long known for its acoustic properties, brass simultaneously amplifies and distorts the voices and spells. Using diaphony and resonance, »Incantations« unfolds slowly into the night, offering a hypnotic and spell-bound experience.

    The work is commissioned as part of the CTM Radio Lab, which since 2014 has supported new works that explore the intersection of radio with live performance or installation within the context of the festival’s yearly theme. It will be broadcast in its radio version by Deutschlandfunk Kultur on 25 March, and presented by ORF Austrian Broadcasting Service in autumn 2022. The brass object is commissioned by Centrala Space, Birmingham.

    Event Access and Hygiene Rules

    Access to »Incantations« is via the silent green Betonhalle entrance. You may leave the installation at any point in time, however re-entry is not possible.

    Please check the Festival Access & Hygiene rules for detailed and current information on Covid-19 regulations. This page is updated regularly.

    Details on venue accessibility can be found here.

    Kuppelhalle has a throughput ventilation system; as fresh air is blown in from outside, used air is discharged to the outside using two Helios fans (type HRFW EC 315A), which exchange approx. 4000 m³/h of air, meaning a total change of air 1.1 times per hour.

    Photography and Mobile Phones

    Please note that access with professional recording/camera equipment is not allowed.

    Commissioned as part of the CTM Radio Lab, led by CTM Festival and Deutschlandfunk Kultur – Radio Art / Klangkunst in collaboration with Goethe-Institut, ORF musikprotokoll im steirischen herbst, Ö1 Kunstradio, and The Wire magazine. The brass object is commissioned by Centrala Space, Birmingham.