The National Arts Festival with the support of the French Institute of South Africa,
the Embassy of France in South Africa and the Institut Français
proudly present
FRANÇOIS SARHAN
at the National Arts Festival
in a unique double bill
Telegrams from the Nose & Lectures of Professor Glaçon
9 July 2011 at 7pm & 10 July 2011 at 3pm
at the Great Hall
the Embassy of France in South Africa and the Institut Français
proudly present
FRANÇOIS SARHAN
at the National Arts Festival
in a unique double bill
Telegrams from the Nose & Lectures of Professor Glaçon
9 July 2011 at 7pm & 10 July 2011 at 3pm
at the Great Hall
Lectures of Professor Glaçon – Photo © Hannah Paton
Last April, French composer and artist François Sarhan drew his audience into the creative world of the eccentric Professor Henry Jacques Glaçon with a series of thought-provoking and witty events, ranging from exhibitions to music and books, via musical performances with world-renowned Portuguese percussion band, Drumming Grupo de Percussão.
The French artist will be back in South Africa to perform for the first time Telegrams from the Nose, the result of his artistic collaboration with South African visual artist William Kentridge, presented at the National Arts Festival as part of a double bill including the Lectures of Professor Glaçon.
In the multimedia project mixing Sarhan’s original score with Kentridge’s video, the backdrop is a large canvas painted by Kentridge on which are screened Telegrams from the Nose, a video consisting of a stylish combination of anamorphosed human shadows, small black animated silhouettes in cut-out paper, geometrical shapes evoking Russian constructivism, letters in movement and text. In phase with Kentridge's images, the music of "Telegrams" scrolls through a series of hurried, scratched out, dislocated "Shostakovian vignettes". It is a work of memory and allusion, without any direct quotations.
The French artist will be back in South Africa to perform for the first time Telegrams from the Nose, the result of his artistic collaboration with South African visual artist William Kentridge, presented at the National Arts Festival as part of a double bill including the Lectures of Professor Glaçon.
In the multimedia project mixing Sarhan’s original score with Kentridge’s video, the backdrop is a large canvas painted by Kentridge on which are screened Telegrams from the Nose, a video consisting of a stylish combination of anamorphosed human shadows, small black animated silhouettes in cut-out paper, geometrical shapes evoking Russian constructivism, letters in movement and text. In phase with Kentridge's images, the music of "Telegrams" scrolls through a series of hurried, scratched out, dislocated "Shostakovian vignettes". It is a work of memory and allusion, without any direct quotations.
Telegrams from the Nose – Photo © John Hodgkiss
As always with Sarhan, it is the text (the spoken voice) that carries him away: here the composer pursues his quest for a modern melodrama. A lyrical narration, like a voice sample imported directly from everyday life (or an archive or old film), is used as the guiding thread, harvesting instrumental events.
N.B. For those who will miss the performances of Telegrams from the Nose & Lectures of Professor Glaçon at the National Arts Festival, there will be another chance to watch this double bill at the Market Theatre from 8 to 10 September 2011 within the framework of the Refuse the Hour season.
N.B. For those who will miss the performances of Telegrams from the Nose & Lectures of Professor Glaçon at the National Arts Festival, there will be another chance to watch this double bill at the Market Theatre from 8 to 10 September 2011 within the framework of the Refuse the Hour season.
