| Exhibition Dates: |
July 2–August 11, 2019 |
| Exhibition Location: |
The Met Breuer, Floor 5 |
Oliver Beer: Vessel Orchestra, the first sound-based performance exhibition commissioned by The Met, is composed of 32 objects from The Met collection—sculptures, utilitarian containers, and decorative works—that together form a musical instrument.
Opening at The Met Breuer on July 2, the installation consists of vessels chosen by British artist Oliver Beer (b. 1985) for their innate sound frequencies. Beer’s work explores relationships between sound and form and in the past has featured personal objects and household possessions as well as historical vessels from various collections. However, Vessel Orchestra marks the first time Beer has engaged with objects from a collection as vast and varied as The Met’s, and the first time he has created an assembly of vessels that can be “played” by musicians in live performances.
This performance exhibition is made possible in part by Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon B. Polsky.
“The Met collection is one of the world’s greatest sources of inspiration,” commented Max Hollein, Director of The Met. “It’s exhilarating to witness the innovative way that Oliver Beer has interpreted these objects, presenting a new perspective and perhaps an unexpected experience for visitors.”
Each object’s ambient sound is captured with a small microphone activated by a keyboard, transforming the arrangement of vessels into a versatile musical instrument. With works whose origins range from ancient Persia to modern America, the installation links art objects across historical periods and cultures to create an audible portrait of The Met’s encyclopedic collection. A large number of vessels were auditioned by Beer in order to find those that “sing” precisely in one of 32 consecutive notes. For example, a nearly 6,000-year-old ceramic jar from Central Iran resonates in a low E, while a large, abstract Joan Miró vase elicits a middle F.
“Oliver Beer has discovered a remarkable resonance in the cavities of vessels,” said Sheena Wagstaff, Leonard A. Lauder Chairman of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Met. “He amplifies that wonderful moment in our own experience when one’s voice hits a sweet spot that reverberates in the space around us. Beer’s genius is releasing the essential musicality of objects from The Met collection, giving beautiful acoustic form to their secret interiors.”
During public hours, a preprogrammed audio interface—a new composition written by Beer for the exhibition—will animate the vessels in a "player-piano style." On Friday evenings beginning July 5, a diverse group of guest artists, musicians, and composers will activate the vessels, performing compositions and improvisations in a series of in-gallery concerts (these performances are free with Museum admission).
“When these vessels come together to create this magnificent instrument, it gives us an opportunity to understand these objects in an entirely new way,” said Limor Tomer, General Manager of Live Arts at The Met. “Beer’s new composition and the live performances each week offer thrillingly different musical experiences. Unexpected narratives and connections between these vessels will unfold.”
Schedule of performances:
Friday, July 5: Bruce Brubaker and Ekmeles (Charlotte Mundy, Amber Evans, Jeffrey Gavett, Steven Hrycelak)
Music by John Cage, Alvin Lucier, Philip Glass and early medieval keyboard music
Friday, July 12: Mashrou Leila (Firas Abou Fakher, Hamed Sinno, Haig Papazian, Carl Gerges) with Rabih Almuddine
Friday, July 19: Matana Roberts with Darius Jones
Friday, July 26: Brooklyn Raga Massive (Roopa Mahadevan, Trina Basu, Amali Premawardhana, Roshni Samlal)
Friday, August 2: Nico Muhly and friends
Friday August 9: John Zorn with Sara Serpa, Sae Hashimoto, Kenny Wollesen, Ikue Mori, and Michael Nicolas
Please visit The Met’s website for more details.
This schedule is subject to change.
All of the exhibition’s performances are free with Museum admission.
Related programs are made possible by Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac.
Oliver Beer: Vessel Orchestra is a collaboration between two Met departments—Live Arts and the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art—and is organized by Lauren Rosati, Assistant Curator in the Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art, Department of Modern and Contemporary Art, and Limor Tomer, General Manager of Live Arts.
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July 1, 2019
Image: Oliver Beer (British, b. 1985). Vessel Orchestra, 2019. 32 hollow objects from The Met collection, microphones, speakers, keyboard, and associated audio equipment. © Oliver Beer, courtesy of the artist and Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac
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