Artists: Sól Ey & Ensemble Modelo62
Photo: Flora Reznik Erfan Abdi
World premiere
[ performance ]
Time : 15. May • 19:30 – 20:15
Location : Åbne Scene, Godsbanen, Karen Wegeners Gade 8, 8000 Aarhus
Supported by : Fonds Podiumkunsten (Performing Arts Fund), the Municipality of The Hague, the Dioraphte Foundation, KODA Kultur, and the Van den Berch van Heemstede Foundation
Info
You are invited to visit the endangered species bassalones.
Previously considered extinct for over 300 years, a single herd of bassalones was recently discovered and has been relocated to a protected reserve. With their stout, clumsy build, these remarkable mammals are most famous for their haunting mating calls and deep, earth-shaking roars.
Legend has it that the bassalone’s calls inspired early humans to begin creating music, mimicking its resonant voice in their earliest instruments. The decline of the bassalone likely began within the last millennia, when hunters discovered unique acoustic properties of the bassalone’s chest cavity. With its magnificent natural resonance, the bassalone was the perfect amplifier for deep, rich tones. Many don’t realise that prior to the 18th century, string instruments were made from the bassalone’s body, leading to relentless hunting that eventually drove the species to extinction. As bassalone numbers declined, humans were forced to find alternatives – carving string instruments from wood, carefully mimicking the bassalone’s distinct shape and sound.
Due to the fragility of the bassalone herd, access to the reserve is highly restricted. On rare occasions, limited public visits are permitted under strict regulations. This is one such opportunity—an extremely rare chance to observe these creatures in their protected habitat.
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Sóley Sigurjónsdóttir (b. 1996), known professionally as Sól Ey, is an Icelandic composer and new media artist who currently lives and works in both Copenhagen and The Hague. She makes performances and interactive installations, and she designs instruments that combine sound, space, movement, light and the body.
Often working with sensors and new technologies, her work emphasizes immersion, participation, and social interaction. Currently, her artistic research focuses on the possibilities of the human body when extended with electronics or objects. She studied composition at Iceland University of the Arts and the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague.
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Modelo62 is an ensemble that performs contemporary music. The driving ambition of Modelo62 is to create tailormade works for the group in collaboration with young as well as established composers and makers from a variety of disciplines. Modelo62 functions as a laboratory for new artistic experiments. As such, Modelo62 considers itself a musical ensemble, but also a production house that dedicates time and resources to develop new projects. Modelo62’s vision is to reach new audiences with contemporary music and to offer them a transformative experience. Over 20 years of existence Modelo62 has brought more than 100 new works to the stage.
Photo: Flora Reznik Erfan Abdi