Audio Control Turn on Yuval's sonic flow

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Place in the floor or the ground your mirrored image of a lover. Standing on your knees with your wings on the floor, enhance with your back and belly your amplified emotions.
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Audio Control Turn on Yuval's sonic flow
Audio Control

Solo exhibition

Cusumano Masterpieces
National Science Museum Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy – 16 November – 10 December, 2017

The exhibition is the culmination of a year-long, in-depth exploration of the distinctive cultural and natural landscape of Etna in Sicily, Europe’s largest active volcano. It features over 400 photographs, a new sound sculpture, several video art pieces, and a principal sound and visual polyptych comprising more than 75 scenes with over 350 participants.

“The expression “harmonic tremor” indicates a physical acoustic phenomenon often associated with volcanic activity manifesting itself through a release of seismic infrasonic energy (very low sounds below the threshold of human hearing). Etna’s harmonic tremor, with its hidden musics – that though inaudible by ear is perceivable by human beings, thus causing at times extreme and contrasting emotional states such as fear, harmony, apprehension or revelation – is at the core of the poetical journey-investigation taken by multimedia artist and composer Yuval Avital, a journey, initially conceived as a reconnaissance trip, had expanded to a one-year-long art project giving birth to thousands of shots, musical scores, soundscapes and 12 hours of footage, of which a part is presented here in this exhibition.”
Excerpt from exhibition catalogue text by Fare Arte, catalogue curator

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Massive Sonic Works:

/ˈmæsɪv ˈsɒnɪk wɜːrks/

Large-scale performances using collective participation to create powerful sound masses.

Yuval Avital’s “Massive Sonic Works” or “Opera di Massa Sonora” involves the creation of large-scale performances that utilize collective participation to craft a unique sound experience. These works focus on forming powerful sound masses through the collaboration of numerous performers, exploring new possibilities through sound rituals. The compositions often include graphic visual elements, written music, and easy-to-read instructions to allow interpretation by individuals without prior musical experience. This approach, sometimes involving hundreds of participants, aims to create what can be described as “crowd music.”

Some key works in Avital’s repertoire include:

– GARON (2012): An opera for 45 bass tubas do, percussions, and a crowd of performers.

– KARAGATAN (2013): A composition for 100 gongs and bamboo in the Philippines.

– REKA (2014): Commissioned by the Warsaw Autumn Festival and co-produced by the MiTo festival in Milan, involving traditional singers from unique cultures such as Tibetan, Zulu, Sardinian, Mongolian, and Samarkand traditions.

One of Avital’s significant compositions is MISE EN ABÎME, a milestone work that marks the beginning of his “Massive Sonic Works” series. Premiered in 2011, this composition involves a large ensemble of 100-200 non-musician vocalists, accordions, bass tubas, soprano, bass clarinet, percussions, didgeridoo, and conductors directing the performance in an immersive setup.

Another notable work is URLA, an immersive sonic experience with over 300 performers, showcasing diverse musical traditions in Matera, Italy. This piece combines traditional elements with modern instrumentation, theatrical actions, and innovative technological approaches, reflecting Yuval Avital’s interdisciplinary and transcultural artistic vision.

Yuval Avital’s creations blend complexity, cultural diversity, and technological innovation to create immersive and participatory sonic experiences that push the boundaries of traditional music composition and performance.