Podium21 presents a special performance in the Kloosterkerk in The Hague, ‘ Klee droomt Bach’ , in which the work of two great artists from history come together in a new, contemporary way. The music of Johan Sebastiaan Bach comes together with the latest techniques in the field of AI and video art, inspired by the work of painter Paul Klee. This promises to be an exciting sequel to the previous successful collaboration between organist Geerten van de Wetering and audiovisual artist Marcel Wierckx.
Avant-garde and Bach
“In the new performance ‘Klee droomt Bach’ we present the relationship between the work of Paul Klee and Johann Sebastian Bach in a completely new way”, says Geerten van de Wetering, who is responsible for the music section on the large organ of the Kloosterkerk. “Paul Klee (1879-1940) was a talented violinist, but decided that his real talent lay in avant-garde painting. Music, especially that of Bach, always continued to play a major role in his life, also in his paintings. Many paintings were given musical titles, such as ‘Im Bachsen Stil’ or ‘Alter Klang’. For ‘Klee droomt Bach’, audiovisual artist Marcel Wierckx, in collaboration with visual artist Johan Luijmes, designed video projections that are based on Klee’s work and respond to Bach’s music. While I perform Bach’s organ works, Marcel Wierckx immerses the audience in light projections on and around the organ. The experience of live music from the organ, while at the same time filling the monumental space of the Kloosterkerk with light art, is always very special. Also for me as an organist.”
‘Soundscapes’, new avant-garde!
“Soundscapes that I create with the help of artificial intelligence resound between Bach’s compositions,” says Marcel Wierckx enthusiastically. “I use the poem ‘The Silence of the World Before Bach’ by poet Lars Gustavson, with Bach as inspiration. The soundscapes connect the works. Together with the music and video projections, the visitor experiences a total experience of sounds, colours and words. In the video art, I strive to create an interplay between Bach’s music and rhythmically arranged colour areas and transparent layers. The result is a sparkling image and multi-coloured music where the 18th, 20th and current centuries meet! New avant-garde, I say with a wink”.
Tickets and drinks
Tickets for this light and sound sensation can be ordered via https://podium21.nl/ . After the concert, visitors will be treated to a drink. ‘Klee droomt Bach’ was created in collaboration with Stichting OpenOor.
