Eight musicians and eight robots stand on stage, the human protagonists “embraced” by giant mechanical arms, forming a “robotic cocoon.”
COCON is an audiovisual live performance featuring Cello Octet Amsterdam performing new compositions by composers Caterina Barbieri, Jesse Broekman, Kara-Lis Coverdale, Sarah Davachi and Qasim Naqvi and an arrangement of Abul Mogard & KMRU. The scenography is created by Nick Verstand and consists of eight robotic arms embracing the musicians on stage. The mechanical cocoon slowly unfolds and ripples along with the music. Lights attached to the ends of the robotic arms illuminate both the musicians and the space, creating three-dimensional shapes in the air. The cocoon symbolizes Mother Earth’s embrace as a source for humanity, but at the same time represents our human addition and destruction of that same source. This contrast is enhanced by the classical cellos as opposed to the futuristic robotics. The robotics behave as an autonomous entity on stage and interact with the musicians to create a tension arc of light, sound and kinetics.
SOLD OUT
Unfortunately, the tickets for this concert are already sold out.
Please note: This Concert is included in the FESTIVALPASS+. FESTIVALPASS+ holders therefore do not need an individual ticket.
Bios
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Cello Octet Amsterdam
NL
Cello Octet Amsterdam is an adventurous collective of cellists that stands for new music and interdisciplinary performances. In the contemporary music world, the Octet has become a household name through collaborations with composers such as Philip Glass, Sofia Gubaidulina, Arvo Pärt, Theo Loevendie, Mauricio Kagel, Michael Gordon and Kate Moore. Arvo Pärt, on hearing the premiere of his first piece for the Octet said, “The Octet is a treasure, I discovered this ensemble 10 years too late.” The Octet regularly enters into collaborations with composers, theater-makers, choreographers and social organizations as a means of exploring broader themes and ideas.
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Nick Verstand
NL
Nick is a contemporary artist researching human perception through spatial audiovisual compositions. His autonomous installations and live performances investigate the frontier between the material and the immaterial, and are created through collaborative design processes aimed at breaking down social boundaries. The resulting intuitive experiences, co-creations of artist and audience, generate a hypnotizing environment for the subconscious mind. Nick has exhibited and performed at many major venues, among others: Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, The Shed (NYC), Museum of Contemporary Art (Shanghai, CHN), National Opera & Ballet (NL). He collaborated with artists such as Iris van Herpen, Björk, Lykke Li and many others.
Credits
Presented in the context of the ACuTe project. ACuTe is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
Presented with the kind support of the Performing Arts Fund NL.
