Music is the one form of art that is not only accessible to everyone, but is also present in so many forms and aspects that it is almost impossible to know what is the most current trend for that art anymore, whereas painting is often constant for many decades, even centuries. And while people are getting used to taking for granted this art, they are also getting used to expecting what they will see or hear.
Starting with a short movie explaining the story behind each room, the concept of 'Soundscapes' is pretty simple. One song for one painting; six different songs by six different artists played in six different rooms; six different paintings from different periods of time standing in the same exhibition, which main aim is to make you hear the paintings and see the sound.
In the first room, Chris Watson, one of the world's leading recorders of wildlife and natural phenomena, helps us to discover a whole new identity to Akseli Gallen-Kallela's painting "Lake Keitele" (1905).
It is the 2010 Turner Price winner for her work consisting entirely of sounds - a first!, Susan Philipsz, who was chosen to offer a musicality to one of Hans Holbein's most famous paintings "Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve" ('The Ambassadors') (1533).
More than just sounds, Canadian artists Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, who have received international acclaim in the past for their sound installations, have applied their magical world and creativity to the Antonello da Messina's painting "Saint Jerome in his Study" (about 1475).
To this even older four-side portable altarpiece "The Wilton Diptych" created by an unknown French or English artist for the private devotion of Richard II (about 1395-1399) was associated this masterpiece from the American composer of chamber Nico Muhly.
"Les Grandes Baigneuses" (about 1900-1906) from French great impressionist Paul Cézanne has been illustrated by the notes put together by one of the most renowned composer of music for films, Gabriel Yard.
And finally, the room that is, to me, the most impressive of the exhibition, is the one that welcomes this sometimes-hard-to-understand French style: pointillism. The Belgian artist Théo van Rysselberghe's "Coastal Scene" (about 1892) is exposed in this room playing a Jamie xx's production, an interesting parallel between the understanding of the painting - and style - and the working process of the DJ.
If you have not had the chance to visit this exhibition, you should hurry. The countdown to the end of this amazing project has started; the end-date has been set up for September 6.
As it offers a better understanding of the paintings as well as a new vision of well-known masterpieces, I do believe that the National Gallery should extend this project and make it become part of the permanent collection, using 10 paintings - and sculptures - illustrated by 10 new artists, with both of which being replaced by new ones every two months. But this is just the opinion of an unknown girl who truly loved 'Soundscapes'...
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More info:
Place: National Gallery, London
Until: September 6, 2015
Price: £10/adult, £5/student and jobseeker (with donations)
Website: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/soundscapes
*
More info:
Place: National Gallery, London
Until: September 6, 2015
Price: £10/adult, £5/student and jobseeker (with donations)
Website: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/soundscapes
*
Have a good day,
xx
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