In Foreign Bodies, visual artist Tal Rosner presents a hyper-synched video interpretation of the orchestral piece, drawing inspiration from action paintings and expressionist abstractions.

By animating textural shifts and instrumental gestures, and by manipulating live-feed images of both players and conductor on stage, the performance will in effect become a closed circuit – where the flow of sound and projected images are inherently intertwined.

The elemental yet simple approach is rooted in Salonen’s own reading of his composition, prioritising “the physical reality of the music, i.e. the sound itself”, and celebrates the wild rhythmical variety in the piece.

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Composer: Esa-Pekka Salonen (2001)
Video Artist: Tal Rosner
Format: 1 HD channel, with added live manipulation, approx 20 min
Commissioned by The New York Philharmonic, USA 2018. Performed live at Lincoln Center's Geffen Hall.

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Production
Technical Director, Video Software: David Shepherd
Technical Director, Video Hardware: Nick Joyce
Producer: Lizzie Pocock
Executive Producer: Sam Pattinson
Produced by Treatment Ltd
With thanks to Matt Swoboda at Notch
Special thanks to Disguise for the provision of their software on hardware solution, which has been used at the heart of the Foreign Bodies production.

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Photos: Chris Lee