Slave to the music
Slave Pianos
A one-off performance by provocative and inventive artist collective Slave Pianos will signal the conclusion of the acclaimed exhibition Slave Pianos / Punkasila / Pipeline to Oblivion: 3 Projects by Danius Kesminas and Collaborators.
The free performance, titled The Gift: Redaction and Decontamination will be held on Saturday 23 July at Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA) and will feature a combination of theatre, music and art to activate elements of the interactive exhibition.
Max Delany, Director, MUMA encouraged visitors to experience this unique performance.
“It’s an honour to have Slave Pianos perform at MUMA who are sure to deliver an event that you won’t forget!” said Mr Delany.
Held in a gallery space, the performance will build on the installation work The Execution Protocol III: Mutually Assured Production (The MAP Room) 2007-11, which includes a parlour-grand piano housed in an electric chair, a control console, a motorised coordinate plotter and geophysical map-mural.
Incorporating texts by playwright Joanna Murray-Smith, art historian John C. Welchman and author Julian Barnes, The Gift: Redaction and Decontamination will feature actor Richard Piper, a tesla coil (a high voltage discharge device) and members of Slave Pianos in an execution and musical ultra-reduction of sound works from the avant-garde.
“We will be ceremoniously closing the exhibition Slave Pianos | Punkasila | Pipeline to Oblivion with tastings from the Dipsomanic Organ vodka still – an extraordinary artwork that is not to be missed - and traditional Lithuanian food and folk music,” said Mr Delany.
Slave Pianos is a unique and innovative collective of artists, composers and musicians devoted to the exhibition, collection, analysis, performance and re-composition of sound work by visual artists.
Slave Pianos is made up of Rohan Drape, Neil Kelly, Danius Kesminas, Michael Stevenson and Dave Nelson. Founded in 1998, their work has been performed by opera companies, orchestras, ensembles and bands internationally. Most recently the group exhibited in the 17th Sydney Biennale in 2010.
Richard Piper is a British-born actor with a distinguished theatrical career in England and Australia appearing in over 50 stage productions, television series’ and West End musicals.
Visit www.monash.edu.au/muma for further information
Slave Pianos will perform at Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA) on Saturday 23 July 2011 from 3.30 – 4.30pm. The experience is free.