International Acts Headline Major Art Music Event

Media Release

3 March 2003

Leading international acts headline major art music event

Leading international artists working at the point where contemporary art and music collide will feature at a major art music event at New Plymouth's Govett-Brewster Art Gallery on 29 March.

Extended Play LIVE, held in conjunction with the Govett-Brewster's current exhibition Extended play: art remixing music, will feature rare performances by UK artist Scanner, Australian Marco Fusinato, New Zealander Sean Kerr, and a screening of a short film by LA artist Stephen Prina.

Extended Play LIVE is headlined by the first performance of Scanner's 52 Spaces: a love unheard since it's premier at the 90th birthday celebrations of Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni in Rome in September 2002.

52 Spaces mixes sounds gathered around Rome with elements of Antonioni's 1962 film The Eclipse to create a rich vision of the city.

Scanner is a leading international contemporary artist, with artist collaborations with U2, Derek Jarman, and DJ Spooky. He has made gallery-based installations, MTV advertisements, composed film scores, and is a regular DJ at London's ICA Electronic Lounge.

"Scanner is a major international artist who layers complex electronic soundscapes with samples of conversation intercepted from everyday telecommunications. Samples range from domestic cell-phone conversations, to radio broadcasts, to military jets beaming in to flight control, even unidentified sounds from space," said Gallery Director Greg Burke.

Melbourne based Marco Fusinato presents _ _ : _ _ : _ _ Extended Play, an improvised work comprising of layers of guitar feedback, that are recorded then looped repeatedly. The duration of the work will be added to the title on the completion of the performance.

"Fusinato's work is fascinating in it's exploration of time as a key structural and sculptural element of the performance work," said Mr Burke.

Marco Fusinato was awarded the first international artist's residency and associated exhibition with the Elam School of Fine Arts and Auckland University's Gus Fisher Gallery in September 2002. During this residency Fusinato performed in Dunedin and held a solo exhibition at Auckland gallery Starkwhite.

New Zealander Sean Kerr rounds off the Extended Play LIVE programme with Music for prepared computer, a work that explores his interest in experimental digital audio and video and the potential of the Apple Mac as artistic medium.

"Sean Kerr uses a work from the Govett-Brewster's own collection to produce an audio-visual performance. The work is scanned, separated into different sonic layers, and reassembled for the audience," said Mr Burke.

Kerr has worked as a V-jay supplying visuals to performers and djs, including internationally renowned New Zealand ensemble From Scratch. Kerr was the 2001 New Zealand artist in residence at Artspace, Sydney and his resultant work, Stacker, which featured a massive wall of obsolete stereo speakers, was extensively reviewed in the Sydney Morning Herald. In 2002 Te Papa commissioned a major interactive work by Kerr.

Extended Play LIVE also features a screening of Stephen Prina's acclaimed 16mm film Vinyl ll, commissioned by the Getty Foundation for the project Departures: 11 artists at the Getty 2000. Set to a stunning soundtrack composed by Prina the performance hinges on the (1625Georges de La Tour painting The Musicians' Brawl of 1625, held in the Getty collection.

The event will be held in the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery Theatre, Queen Street, New Plymouth, from 8.00pm Saturday 29 March 2003. Tickets are strictly limited to 100, and cost $18.00 or $1400 (students and Friends of the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery). Tickets available from the Gallery's Art and Design Shop, tel: 06-758-5149 or e-mail: artanddesign@govettbrewster.com.

For further information contact:

Greg Burke, Director, 06 758-5149

Antony Rhodes, Marketing Manager, 06 759-0852

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