François Sarhan's 'Theatre of Nothing' Disrupts Musica 2024 Festival in Strasbourg
The 2024 Musica festival in Strasbourg highlights the work of François Sarhan, a composer and multidisciplinary artist known for his critique of the exclusivity in contemporary music. His installation, 'Épicerie solitaire,' is on display at QG until October 3, while 'Log Book' will debut with the Zafraan Ensemble on September 29 at the Manufacture des tabacs. Sarhan, who studied under Jonathan Harvey, Philippe Manoury, and Brian Ferneyhough at Ircam, challenges music's tribal aspects. The festival commenced with Louis Andriessen's 'De Staat.' Sarhan's piece 'Les Murs meurent aussi' explores themes of borders, featuring Ukrainians live and Russians via video. His 'Encyclopédie' series presents fictional knowledge, and 'Log Book' integrates radio segments and dialogues. Additionally, 'Mode d'emploi' is exhibited at the Musée d'art moderne et contemporain de Strasbourg until June 1, 2025.
Key facts
- François Sarhan is featured at Musica 2024 in Strasbourg with installations and performances.
- 'Épicerie solitaire' runs until October 3 at QG; 'Log Book' premieres September 29 at Manufacture des tabacs.
- Sarhan criticizes contemporary music for being tribal and inaccessible, despite studying at Ircam.
- Musica 2024's theme links music and politics, opening with Louis Andriessen's 'De Staat'.
- Sarhan created a piece by cutting Andriessen's score and adding text by Mahmoud Darwich.
- Stéphane Roth commissioned 'Covaru', a work for 15 musicians inspired by Jacques Roubaud.
- 'Les Murs meurent aussi' addresses geopolitical walls, reacting to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
- Sarhan's 'Log Book' is a 4-hour sound collage mixing radio, conversations, and field recordings.
Entities
Artists
- François Sarhan
- Louis Andriessen
- Jonathan Harvey
- Philippe Manoury
- Brian Ferneyhough
- Mahmoud Darwich
- Jacques Roubaud
- William Kentridge
- Adolf Wölfli
- Pierre Michon
- Christian Hecq
- Valérie Lesort
- Tod Browning
- Tiago Rodrigues
- Josef Nadj
- Miquel Barceló
- Alain Resnais
- Alexander Gabyshev
- Vladimir Putin
- Moor Mother
- Valérian Guillaume
- Auber
- Jacques Brel
- Antonio Vivaldi
- Gilles Deleuze
- Félix Guattari
- Plato
Institutions
- Musica
- Ircam
- Zafraan Ensemble
- Musée d'art moderne et contemporain de Strasbourg
- Opéra comique
- Les Célestins
- Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord
- Théâtre 71
- Cabaret Voltaire
- Elbit Systems
- Broadway
- Festival d'Avignon
- Académie
Locations
- Strasbourg
- France
- Berlin
- Germany
- Lyon
- Paris
- Malakoff
- Avignon
- Siberia
- Kremlin
- Russia
- Ukraine
- Mexico
- United States
- Israel
- Palestine
- West Berlin
- East Berlin
Sources
- artpress —