Iannis Xenakis: The sound born from an explosion of History

Musical intersections on stage

Athens Conservatoire “Aris Garoufalis” Hall
Sunday 18/12/22 at 20:00

Entrance: 5€ | Pre-sale: ticketservices.gr

As the “Xenakis’ Year” draws to a close, mέta | the Centre for Post-Capitalist Civilisation commemorates the centenary of the birth of the multi-dimensional composer, architect, and thinker, Iannis Xenakis, in the month that was the most decisive for his personal itinerary: December, the month of the “Battle of Athens”.

Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001) pioneered, as is well known, an artistic revolution, bridging music with mathematics, 20th-century experimentation with ancient Greek thought. But as a young man, he also participated (and this should not be silenced) in a popular resistance movement with revolutionary characteristics, the crushing of which shaped the malformed physiognomy of post-war Greece. For Xenakis of the “Byron Battalion”, the “Battle of December” was the moment of his severe injury in Exarcheia district, the precursor of his subsequent forced expatriation with a death sentence on him, and, overall, the historical turning point at which the expectations of his pioneering generation were refuted.

For mέta, which aspires to combine the language of artistic creation with theat of political-theoretical argument, the holistic approach to the life and work of Iannis Xenakis is an opportunity to reflect anew on the meeting points between art and technology, intellectuality and aesthetic pleasure, musical breakthrough and political radicalism, “avant-garde” and “popularity”, beyondthe limitations of laboratory or museum mentality.

Conviced that Xenakis can “converse” with contemporary currents, starting from experimental music and reaching up to rap, we attempt an original “meeting on stage”, in the event organised on Sunday, December 18, at 20:00 at the Athens Conservatoire (17-19 Vas. Georgiou B’, “Aris Garoufalis” Hall), with the participation of Pavlos Antoniadis, Orestis Karamanlis, Georgia Spiropoulos and MC Yinka. The event is curated by Makis Solomos.

The programme

First part:
“The ‘Battle of December‘ and the injury of Xenakis”. Screenings and narratives with Orestis Karamanlis and Makis Solomos.

Interactive musical performance by Orestis Karamanlis based on the GENDYN programme by Iannis Xenakis.

Second part:
Evryali (1973) by Iannis Xenakis. Pavlos Antoniadis on piano.
Evryali with enhanced images (projection).
Eror (the pianist), excerpt, by Georgia Spyropoulos
An absolutely imaginary space by MC Yinca

A discussion with the contributors will follow

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Contributors

Pavlos Antoniadis: Pianist and musicologist, Dr. University of Strasbourg-IRCAM, a researcher at EUR-ArTeC, University of Paris 8. He is involved in contemporary experimental music and the development of technological tools in art performance and teaching.

Orestis Karamanlis: Composer, lecturer at the University of Athens, Dr. Sonic Arts Research Centre of Belfast. He is particularly involved in the fusion of acoustic instruments with the laptop, algorithmic composition, and sound design for multi-channel systems.

Makis Solomos: Musicologist, Professor at the University of Paris 8. He specialises in the work of Iannis Xenakis and Theodor Adorno and works on issues of musical ecology. Author, among others, of the book Iannis Xenakis: The universe of a peculiar creator (“Alexandria”, Athens 2008).

Georgia Spiropoulos: Composer and multimedia artist living in Paris. She studied at IRCAM and EHESS and taught music composition at McGill University, Canada. Her work includes compositions for instrumental and vocal ensembles, electronic and mixed music, musical theatre, and audiovisual-sound installations.

MC Yinka (Manolis Afolayo): Founding member of the hip-hop bandw “Adiaspasti Ousia” and “Paragontes”. Member of the bands Street Buzz, Dr.Votkanini and Imam Baildi, and Direct Connection. Creator of the music projects Urbanix and Fuzics.