Pianotissage
Philippe Lauzier
Exhibition and performance presented during Mois Multi.
Rethinking the use of traditional instruments and thwarting what is expected of them and their sounds is one of Philippe Lauzier’ creative obsessions. Composer, improviser musician, and interdisciplinary artist’s Pianotissage offers a sculptural mutation over a grand piano’s sounding board. Inspired by weaving loom systems, entangled threads come down from suspended furniture and sneak around the piano chords, reeling and retracting with manual or motorised impulses. When we think about prepared pianos, we think about John Cage. Here, a mechanical apparatus is added to the piano. As a disproportionately long bow, the sounds produced by the frictions are massive and pointillist. Like fluorescent pen strokes, coloured threads draw delicate, vibrating sounds from the gut of the instrument, in the void space above. At the opening, pianist and multidisciplinary artist Belinda Campbell will interact with the apparatus in an organic manner. The piece interpreted is taken from Philippe Lauzier’s répertoire.
Philippe Lauzier is an improviser musician, a composer and an interdisciplinary artist. After his studies in composition from 1998 to 2002, he dedicated much of his time to the art of improvisation on the saxophone, and later, the bass clarinet which becomes his instrument of predilection. He took part in several tours and residencies in Canada, Europe, USA, Mexico, Australia and China. His interest for interdisciplinary and collaborative practices also led him to create sound installations for various festivals, as well as original music for films and dance. Since 2015, Philippe has been developing an interdisciplinary production at the crossroad of music, sound, and visual arts with artist Frédérique Laliberté (Motel Hélène). With more than fifteen albums to his credit, Philippe has recently made three solo works.
