Opening of “Tvísöngur” by Lukas Kühne
September 5, at 17.00 /mountainside above the town of Seydisfjördur / East Iceland
“Tvísöngur” is built of concrete and consists of five interconnected domes of different sizes. The heights of the domes are between 2 and 4 meters and they cover an area of about 30 square meters. Each dome has its own resonance that corresponds to a tone in the Icelandic musical tradition of five-tone harmony, and works as a natural amplifier to that tone.
The sculpture can be seen as a visualization of the five-tone harmony tradition. The round form is chosen for its acoustic properties as well as its visual function in the landscape. It results in a unique combination affecting visual and auditory senses. The Icelandic “Tvisöngur“ becomes a sculpture of “singing concrete”.
“Tvísöngur” is is open to everyone. It is embedded in the mountainside above the town, in a quiet area with a breathtaking view of the fjord. It offers an acoustic sensation that can be explored and experimented with by the visitor. The site’s solitude and tranquility offers a perfect setting for singing or music playing, alone, in harmony, for ones own pleasure or for an audience.
At the opening in Seyðisfjörður there will be performances by local musicians, both professionals and amateurs, and guests are encouraged to bring their own version of five tone singing.
Lukas Kühne’s artworks are dedicated to space and frequency. He lives in Berlin and Montevideo, Uruguay, where he heads the workshop ”Form and Sound” at the Faculty of Arts of the State University. The sculpture “Tvísöngur” relates to a series of works by the artist dealing with musical forms, one of which is the sculpture “Cromatico” built in Tallinn, Estonia as part of Tuned City Tallinn 2011.
Tvísöngur is realized in cooperation with Skaftell – Center for Visual Art, East Iceland. It is supported by the Municipality of Seyðisfjörður, Sídarvinnslan hf, Blue Water Shipping, Goethe Institute Denmark and Nordecon Betoon, Estonia, Rosario Nuin architect.