seventh session: july 2 and 3

During these two days I have finished revising the twelve illuminations. They are now ready for a public presentation. I think my work in this magnificent space is almost finished. In the diaries I have published on this website I explain my experiences during the creation process. This project has evolved very slowly, as the twelve pieces of music are the result of many hours of acoustic experiments inside the osuarium. Now that I have finished it, I can say with great satisfaction that the result is, in my opinion, very satisfying.

As I explain in the diaries, the twelve illuminations are dedicated to the twelve apostles depicted in the frescoes. Each piece bears the name of an apostle, which in spanish are the following: Simón Pedro, Andrés, Santiago el Mayor, Juan, Felipe, Bartolomé, Tomás, Mateo, Santiago el Menor, Judas Tadeo, Simón el Zelote y Judas Iscariote. Some illuminations offer sounds that evoke images that can be related to a specific apostle, or to animals or elements of nature, which are mentioned in the Bible as divine symbols.

For example, the illumination dedicated to Pedro evokes the sound of stones, while the one dedicated to Santiago el Mayor, to whom the qualities of stillness and silence are attributed, is characterised by its clarity and transparency. The piece dedicated to Juan evokes the sound of water, which in the Bible represents life, purification, divine presence and eschatological promise. In this ilumination the interior of the sanctuary becomes a „aljibe“ (name given to the cisterns built by the Arabs in Spain), and the murmur of water and falling drops can be heard. The illumination dedicated to Judas Iscariot is aggressive and piercing. Another one evokes the sound of a swarm of bees, which in the Bible symbolise divine wisdom.

Next Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 July I will return one last time to the osuario. Although the work of creation is already done, I intend to invite all the people who have made this project possible so that they can listen, if they wish, to some of these sound interventions. I would like to thank all of them for this opportunity and above all for having made this experience possible for me, an unforgettable experience both on an artistic and human level.

In September I will contact those in charge of the osuarium to give them a written explanation of the project, as well as proposals for a possible public presentation. I hope that we will be able to find a suitable occasion for this sound installation. If possible, this project could offer the Perschen community an opportunity to rediscover this space full of spirituality, light, and colour, now also full of sound.

to last session: july 16 and 17

back to charnel house in Perschen