reconstruction i/landscape with machines was written for an exhibition of Leonard Rickhard's (1945-2024) work at the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter in May 2015.
Leonard Rickhard's works often depict dense birch forests, construction sites and large machines, combined with detailed renderings of machine parts and model fragments, all in a carefully calculated mathematical perspective. His paintings are calm and motionless. Time has stood still and there are rarely human figures interacting. The machines and the surrounding nature seem to measure each other in a silent standstill before or after an industrial takeover. In 2024 a memorial exibition of his work was shown at the Astrup Fearnley Museum in Oslo.
My work deals with a scenario that applies to many small industries and towns in Norway. The standstill of the machines has silenced small towns and communities and robbed them of their former identity as producers of shoes, cloth and paper. The reason is money. New machines and good working conditions produce products that are high quality but too expensive in a global market.
The work consists of sounds from the textile industry: both an imagined soundscape of a factory environment, real samples of industrial sounds and live sound from an orchestra of sewing machines.
reconstruction i/landscape with machines was commissioned by Ny Musikk for Ensemble Zwischentöne and premiered at the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter May 10th 2015.
At ARW 2024 the work was performed at Kalvskinnet, Akrinn Monday October 21st.
Alpaca Ensemble and students from NTNU: Marit Skjermo Storsve flute, Else Bø piano, Sunniva Skjøstad Hovde accordion, Bendik L. Haanshus el-guitar, Maja Langeteig violin, Marianne Baudouin Lie violincello, Andrias Vilhelm Puolsen double bass
Orchestra of sewing machines: Amelia Snerte, Elvira Snerte, Ella Indstøy, Ragnhild Lila Risnes, Øygunn Hauffen, Daniela Melanie Schwarzer
Sound samples and conducting: Lene Grenager
reconstruction i/landscape with machines
for flute, piano, violin, cello, double bass, accordion, electric guitar, sewing machines and soundtrack (20 min)
