The goal of this research is to create a better theoretical understanding of making performances with the use of lights or audiovisual performances. This idea came from an earlier performance I created in 2022: Nachtland (see pictures below). In this performance, I experimented with creative performative practice (Bakker, 2022) by combining different disciplines and using lights through the works of Ronald Westerhuis, an artist who makes sculptures of steel. I have a growing interest in multi- and/or interdisciplinary performances, as these types of performances often unfold into an immersive experience; something that makes my dreaming, fantasizing, and story-telling artistic heart beat faster[1]. The increasing amount of interdisciplinary performances in the arts got me thinking about whether the quality of these performances is affected by this combination of different disciplines: why do some interdisciplinary collaborations work out well, and others do not? It also made me wonder what the working processes of such performances look like. The initial goal of this research was just to create an audiovisual performance and to break down the process of working and creating. It turned into a reflective process on the performative practice of a classical musician, the interdisciplinary approach while making an audiovisual performance, and especially on music visualization.
This research answers the following research question: How can a classical musician create an audiovisual performance with the use of lights through interdisciplinary collaboration? First, a theoretical framework is developed by examining interdisciplinary collaboration and audiovisual concert practices. This framework is applied in a case study in which an audiovisual performance of Paul Hindemith's Sonate für Harfe is prepared and performed. In this case study, narrative and historical analysis are used to prepare an understanding of the work. Experimentation and reflection are used during the collaborative preparation of the final performance. First-person reflection about the artistic result is further supported by an audience reaction, gathered with a free-response survey.
For this research, I collaborated with creative art director Sebastiaan Smink, whom I discovered through The New Current: a platform for beginning artists focusing on video art, installations, and performances[2]. We worked closely throughout the development of this research and during that time, Sebastiaan generously shared his knowledge on the creating process of audiovisual art and performances with me. From developing visual ideas, researching their practicality and programming software, to sharing input on what works from a visual perspective, or from the point of view of an audience that is not necessarily acquainted with (neo) classical music[3]. Next to the practical and creative side of this project, the collaboration with Sebastiaan has given insights into my first attempt at an interdisciplinary collaborative practice. At the end of this research, I will reflect on this process through the following four key qualities of successful interdisciplinary collaboration as mentioned by artist, designer and researcher Karen Scopa in The development of strategies for interdisciplinary collaborations from within the visual arts (Scopa, 2003). These are derived from the approach of the visual arts, but I have found them to be equally helpful for collaborations including music or sound:
