Composition | Performance
The Manufactured Series.
Fabrice Mazliah asked me to compose and perform a binaural holophonic soundtrack for a durational performance of Michele Di Stefano. (72h)The performance was about reading the Andy Warhol Diaries, which is an impressive book , kind of ‘affresque” of the New York’s artistic life in the 80s.
I composed a long soundtrack following a timeline that, at the end, was the time of the reading. Michele stayed in the theater for the whole time, and we had 7 rendez-vous, open to the public, one hour each, real moments of performance.
Extract from Fabrice Mazliah’s website:
“Fabrice Mazliah’s durational project “The Manufactured Series” is composed of ten concentrated duets with one human and one non-human body each. The duets concentrate particularly on the non-human bodies, their hand-made quality and thus their close links to the human hand.
In the fifth duet of the series, choreographer Michele Di Stefano meets Andy Warhol’s diaries. In every duet until now, the object, through its functions, proposes the duration of the work, according to the time it needs to reveal itself. In the case of the diaries and their 807 pages, the book demands a length of 72 hours in order to be read in its entirety. As a consequence, di Stefano and the book will spend three full consecutive days and nights together on stage, in a reading ritual/marathon in which the public can partake either in person, during various public windows, or virtually, via livestream.What happens while reading? This simple question gives rise to complex physical dialogue. A book consists of nothing but white paper and black letters. However, it opens up intimate, mental spaces which the reader navigates thanks to her/his imagination. This unusual duet explores the relationship between materiality and immateriality, between the process of reading and being read, inviting the inner voices of the spectators, their imaginary worlds, to merge with those of Di Stefanos and the book.
Concept: Fabrice Mazliah
Choreography: Fabrice Mazliah
Performer: Michele di Stefano
Composition and Sound: Lorenzo Bianchi-Hoesch
Research and Dramaturgy: Marialena Marouda
Outside Eye: May Zarhy
Production Management: Johanna Milz
© images Jörg Baumann
2020
