highlike

Elisabeth Chojnacka

Henryk Górecki
Concerto for Harpsichord and String Orchestra Op. 40
Harpsichord: elisabeth chojnacka

Less than nine minutes long, the bipartite Concerto for Harpsichord (or Piano) and String Orchestra, which the composer sometimes called a “prank”, is a veritable volcano that carries the listener away from the very first bars with its immense energy. Its repetitive, motoric nature and rhythmic vigour suit the specific, slightly clattery sound of the harpsichord which is usually somewhat amplified, complemented by the chordal texture of the strings. In both parts, the mood of the piece clearly draws on the highlander music of the southern Podhale region, of which Górecki was a great admirer. In the context of his monumental sacred music from the same period, this Concerto is like the artist’s brief “respite”. It reflects the whirl and “profane” energy of a folk dance.
Elżbieta Chojnacka, to whom the piece was dedicated, has always stressed that every performance of the Concerto, which she has played throughout the world, ends with an encore. The piece meets with such acclaim from the audience, and is one of the most striking – and most joyful – compositions in the composer’s output. “A spectacular plaything”, as Teresa Malecka has described the piece.

JOANIE LEMERCIER

EYJAFJALLAJÖKULL
Inspired by the icelandic volcano, which wreaked travel havoc across europe, Joanie Lemercier presents the latest incarnation of its audiovisual mapping project painted directly onto a large wall, a wireframed scenery is slowly revealed by gentle light effects. The audience’s sense are progressively challenged as optical illusions question their perception of space.

François Quévillon

Pyroclastic Trails
The work shows volcanic rocks rising from the ground that create trails of pixels. The layering of tezontle is generated by a software by modifying the size, speed, trajectory and selection of rocks from a database of photogrammetric 3D scans. Made in November 2019 in collaboration with UNAM’s Instituto de Geografía during a residency for Connecting the Dots, the work is related to research on the impact of mining activities in extinct volcanoes of Sierra de Santa Catarina located south of Mexico City. The video also shows Orbiting Bauxite and 3542 of the Meteors body of works.

julie legrand

Au centre des luttes, des désirs souterrains, des pulsions de vie d’un corps. Se trouver au sein d’un volcan. S’introduire dans l’univers de Julie Legrand, dans lequel les oppositions ne se contrarient pas, mais correspondent à une recherche permanente de nouvelles complémentarités entre matières, structures, agencements et couleurs, comme la naissance de nouveaux possibles.