Audience members will be able to immerse themselves in an audio-visual experience at the Galleries at LynnArts during a show next month that will explore themes of artificial intelligence, global warming, societal transformations, and nature.
Soundscape Visions, a group of artists and musicians who share a passion for exploring the fusion of visual art and music, will be at LynnArts on March 1 with a new program titled “Transformations.”
Alexander Vavilov, the group’s organizer, described artificial intelligence as a concept that is both exciting and frightening.
“Using AI tools, our artist Stephen Levin has created imagery that probes into the world of AI from within in a dynamic, fast-paced sequence,” Vavilov said. “At the heart of the program is ‘Town Transformations’ — an epic exploration of the rise, promise, beauty, terror, danger, decline, and nostalgia of urban societies.”
Soundscape Visions started in 2022 at Galleries at LynnArts, which Vavilov called the group’s “cradle.” Vavilov, who lives in Lynn, added that maintaining a connection to local North Shore artists is very important for the group.
He said the lights will go off during the performance, to add to the experience.
“Being in a darkened space sharpens your senses and lets the music have a deeper access to your feelings,” Vavilov said.
The performance will combine original video art, live music, and poetry to create a multi-sensory experience, according to a press release from Soundscape Visions.
“Transformations” is the result of a collaborative process that integrates different media and genres. The video art, created by François-Xavier de Costerd and Levin, consists of visuals depicting the beauty and complexity of our world and the changes it is experiencing, Vavilov said.
The music, written and performed by Vavilov on viola and Ara Sarkissian on keyboard, spans from classical and romantic to contemporary and minimalist, creating a dynamic and diverse sonic atmosphere to enhance the visuals on display. The poetry, written by Levin and recited by Mitchel Ahern, will add a lyrical and poetic dimension to the event, Vavilov said.
“The combination of the expressivity of a string instrument and the power and textural variety of the piano creates almost limitless possibilities for the variety and the scale of expression,” Vavilov said. “When spoken word adds to the spectrum, yet another dimension opens up for our viewers and listeners. Our artists, poets, and musicians work together to combine the strengths of our respective disciplines into a single immersive mode of expression.”
“Transformations” is Soundscape Visions’ third program and the first of a series of three planned programs for 2024.
For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.soundscapevisions.org/events.
