Tomas Nordmark: The Neck (2019)

Tomas Nordmark: The Neck

8 channel composition for the Arcade Gallery, 2019

The Neck is an eight channel, 24-minute-long composition work made by London-based, Swedish electronic music composer Tomas Nordmark. The poem “Näcken” by Swedish poet E.J. Stagnelius (1821–1823) serves as a point of departure for the work in which Nordmark investigates the obscurity of the mythological shape-shifting water sprite ”Näcken” (in Scandinavian folklore often depicted as a naked man luring humans down into his water with beautiful violin music) and tries to open up a dialogue with the creature itself. The composition uses slow and evolving phase-shifting calculations, a process reminiscent of the American downtown minimalists and inspired by the French literary OuLiPo group—yet the oscillating composition and narrative entwine in the spirit of a mythological mutation.

Tomas Nordmark is a Swedish composer, sound artist and graphic designer, currently living in London. He paints his minimalistic compositions with a careful and harmonically rich sound design of abstract landscapes of crystal, cold and pure images, which allude the genres. On one side, he is learning the form of his music from the American minimalists of the 20th century, and exploring the melodic textures of ancient Scandinavian holy hymns on the other. These two landscapes are juxtaposed on his terms with modern electronic tools and techniques. So it is no wonder that this year he opened the stage for a sonically related musician—Tim Hecker. He is presenting his debut album ‘Eternal Words’ (2019), a mature and beautiful achievement which received nods of approval from The Guardian, New York Times, Bandcamp and more. Tomas Nordmark is also a resident at MOTA — the Museum of Transitory Art, invited by the festival to make a new 8-channel composition for the Arcade Gallery collection.

 

Tomas Nordmark webpage

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Museum of Transitory Art

MoTA –

Museum of Transitory Art

MoTA is a multidisciplinary platform dedicated to advancing the research, production and presentation of transitory, experimental, and live art forms.

MoTA is a museum without a permanent collection or a fixed space. Instead, its programs are realised in different locations and contexts in temporary physical and virtual spaces.

MoTA organizes and supports transitory art in the form of continuous events, exhibitions and educational programs both locally and internationally. As its name indicates, MoTA examines what a museum can be today and in the future.

MoTA is in constant search for the new, the uncertain, and the undefined.

MoTA works on several continuous programmes & projects. We run MoTA Point – a Space for Art & Ideas, we curate and produce the annual SONICA Festival, in addition to regular music programmes such as SONICA Series and SONICA Classics.

Within the years of running our residency programme, we’ve established T.R.I.B.E. – a network of residency spaces in the Balkans & Eastern Europe.

We’ve also initiated the research and archive platforms ArtistTalk.eu and Mediateque MoTA & Tomaž Brate. Our educational programmes serve a broader audience with ongoing workshops, talks, symposia, and internships.