Sónar's program includes several immersive shows tipified by their new and innovative onstage production. These shows use advanced technology and creative processes involving artists from different fields, which establish interdisciplinary dialogues and produce powerful on stage results.
Immersion on stage at Sónar by Day
On Thursday 18th SonarHall will host one of this year's most important creative collaborations, the highly anticipated
Arca show, with equally disturbing and fascinating images provided by designer
Jesse Kanda. On the same day and stage, German musician
Atom™ and Australian artist
Robin Fox unite under their joint pseudonym
Double Vision will combine lasers, video and experimental sonics. Finally,
Lee Gamble's abstract rhythms will be translated to screen by renowned London artist
Dave Gaskarth.
Two performances at Sónar by Day will bear the signature of Mancunian visual creator
Emmanuel Biard. Firstly, the
Evian Christ concert, where Biard's design plays with smoke and light bulbs to create three-dimensional curtains: and secondly, "The Well", a project with emerging Welsh producer
Koreless, one of the most interesting artists of atmospheric electronica in the UK right now.
Also deserving of special attention is the exclusive premiere of
"Blueprint", a stunning show that talks about the cosmos and architecture, designed by the French artist
Joanie Lemercier together with Tectonic label founder
James Ginzburg. And of course two essential artists performing at Sónar by Day:
Squarepusher, with a new live show for which he has also designed reactive visuals for his abrasive sounds; and
Holly Herndon, the laptop music muse who has worked together on her live shows with the renowned Japanese director
Akihiko Taniguchiand Amsterdam design studio
Metahaven.
Outstanding visual shows at Sónar by Night
Several of the visuals at Sónar by Night's biggest shows have been designed by leading designers and artists. This is certainly the case for the spectacular new live show from
The Chemical Brothers, where they will debut their new album and will once again work with their long-time collaborator, the English filmmaker
Adam Smith; and
Flying Lotus, also presenting an immersive 3D show on dual screens, created together with up-and-coming visual artists
Strangeloop &
Timeboy.
Meanwhile,
Siriusmodeselektor (Modeselektor and Siriusmo) will present a new project involving Berlin studio
Pfadfinderei, who are also responsible for commissioning the new visual live show fo
Tiga, on which he has also teamed with Finnish director
Helmi. The Iranian-born American DJ
Dubfire has also worked closely with the visual artists team
Volvox Lab, adding another dimension to his live set.
Giant format sound installations
Continuing Sónar's commitment to new media art and sound installations, the festival will present two large and exceptional pieces of work within the framework Sónar+D.
Firstly, Sónar and Sorigué Foundation will present the kinetic sculpture
RGB|CMY Kinetic, designed by German studio
ART+COM, submission winners for the
SonarPLANTA piece. This large format work establishes a dialogue between primary colours (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow) and additives (Red, Green, Blue, that make up television images) through five discs activated by precise industrial machinery. The piece's music is by Icelandic composer
Ólafur Arnalds, and combines sound and movement as one.
Secondly, Sónar 2015 presents
Nyloïd, an impressive tripod-shaped spider sculpture created by Swiss pairing
André and Michel Décosterd; consisting of three six meter long limbs animated by a sophisticated mechanism and advanced audio devices.