Calling Out of Context
Published 18 months ago
The ICA's upcoming exhibition exploring music and art will be launched this November
- Text by Sian Rowe
Calling Out of Context is an exploration of groundbreaking music hosted by the Institute of Contemporary Arts in partnership with Wire Magazine, the PRS foundation and the Japan Foundation. It takes place between the 14th and 22nd November and celebrates well known chart artists alongside experimental stalwarts and niche bloggers.
The institute's gallery and theatre space will be taken over by new installations and performances. Curators are creating a pop-up studio, fully stocked with everything musicians need to record and mix new music in the space of a day with participants including Mika Levi (Micachu and The Shapes), Werk Discs and Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor.
"Contemporary music provides many different models for production, performance and for interaction with the world around us" explain the festival organisers. "It can be both a site for improvisation, experimentation and technological development. It can highlight the aural landscape we live in and suggest ways of harnessing the landscape as an active social force. Through performance and debate, 'Calling Out of Context' sets out to test these concerns."
In the evenings some of the world's most interesting groups will bring their music to the ICA's unusual space. The Smell regulars and in house artists Lucky Dragons play an interactive set, Wolf Eye's Aaron Dilloway performs in support of Gravetemple (featuring members of Sunn O))) and The Burial Chamber Trio) while the series closes with a weekend tribute to UK avant-garde musician Cornelius Cardew. Over 40 acts will play over the nine days, each picked to demonstrate the multi-faceted nature of contemporary performance. The process of collaboration, minimalist composition, indeterminate sound and the relationship between music and text are just some of the areas that will be excavated by professionals and participants.
Situated bang in the centre of London, the festival confirms avant garde's relevance to the UK mainstream. Discover something different about your record collection.
Calling Out of Context, from the 14th to 22nd November, at the ICA, London.
