Contribution of the Notations platform to the exhibition Just enough space to turn around

at the Glass House [Glazenhuis, Amstelpark, Amsterdam Zuid | www.zetfoundation.nl]

EXHIBITION OF PAPER INSTRUMENTS [Jochem van Tol], 4th MARCH<8th APRIL

OPENING & CONCERT THE PAPER ENSEMBLE, 4th MARCH 15:00

PERFORMANCE ARTHUUR, 11th MARCH 15:00

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.The Paper Ensemble

“The Paper Ensemble gives the visitor the opportunity to have an aesthetic experience that would remain hidden if not presented through the work of art. They challenge the borders of what we would define as an object, an image or a (musical) sound. They could be heard as regular sounds, or (when blowing against a sheet of the thinnest paper) not been heard at all, but by putting these sounds in a specific composition, well timed and precisely played, the sounds attain a musical and performative quality that challenges the visitor’s awareness of sound and music in general. The Paper Ensemble catches the magic of a silent material and enlarges it in a poetic and moving way.”

Tanja Elsgeest, Independent Curator, The Netherlands

The Paper Ensemble was founded by Jochem van Tol in 2007 and developed and played over the years with Ibelisse Guardia and other performers. It is both a musical performance as a visual sound installation. A series of sculptural paper instruments emerged from a research about sound, listening and composition.

“What are the musical qualities and possibilities of paper? (“Could paper produce tones?”)

"And in this context, what visual structures and designs of paper will emerge from this research?"

Each instrument has its own playing techniques and requires certain physical acts. The techniques are defined in a graphical notation system: Maps with colored symbols indicate who has to play certain sounds. The performers determine the timing.

At the Glass House concert, the performers are:

Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti, Mei-Yi Lee, Valentin van Lindenau,Klara Alexova, Jochem van Tol

www.paperensemble.com

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.Arthuur

Arthuur is dance-music-visual meeting in improvisation, where the instant happening on the stage materializes on three levels – by sound, movement and drawn line. This project was created in collaboration between two dancers, two graphic designers and two musicians. Together they focus on the research of how to capture “a moment” happening on the stage while shared with an audience. 

This search is framed by short time chapters given by graphic designers according to when they change sheet of paper in the Arthuur-machine and in this way start a new chapter. Each movement-music chapter has its own registration, which is displayed for the audience to have a look and in the end creates a small exhibition.

Arthuur develops, by his own will, rather as a site-specific project; he likes to react on different environments and architectural and spatial definition.

Graphic design: Deimion van der Sloot (NL) Hidde Meulenbeek (NL)

Dance: Kateřina Dietzová (CZ/NL), Manuela Tessi (IT/NL)

Musicians at the Glass House: Alfredo Genovesi (UK, NL) guitar and electronics, Kim Josephine Bode

 ( DE/NL) recorders

studiozijspan.nl/arthuur.html

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.Press