“The contrast between the natural environment and the intrusive world of technology could not be greater. Where noise comes with speed, power and energy, silence, on the other hand, crystallises time. Silence puts all the senses on edge, moving your mind and balancing your body.” (‘On Silence’, David Le Breton, Editions Métailié, Paris 1997)
In La Floresta, Hans Beckers explores the relationship between humans, nature and technology. How do we experience silence in this technological age? How can we connect with our environment through listening?
La Floresta is a visual sound concert that takes you into a deep sensory experience. It is a complex and layered interplay of listening and experiencing that goes beyond a regular concert, embracing both personal experience and collective experience. In an innovative way, La Floresta weaves participation, awareness, connection and rituals into a unique overall experience.
We all share the same ability to listen. With La Floresta, you are invited to open your ears, stand still and listen to sounds that, in our often busy lives, we pass by. Do we hear the richness of a complex polyphony, or do we experience one overall sound? The performance starts with a short listening walk in the Hageven nature reserve. Then Hans Beckers, Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė and Nathan Daems engage in dialogue with sound sculptures that go back to the roots of music, with materials used by humans in their earliest expressions.
The performance, in which nature and technology merge organically, is a sound ceremony in which each step contributes to a more conscious, receptive and sensory experience.
Installation and composition: Hans Beckers – Performers: Nathan Daems (tenor sax, kaval and ney), Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė (vocals and kanklės), Hans Beckers (guitar, clarinet, objects and sound sculptures) – Technique: Gregor Van Mulders – Metalwork: Danny Vandeput
La Floresta is a concept and production by Hans Beckers, in co-production with Concertgebouw Brugge, Klarafestival, Werkplaats Walter, STUK, Zonzo Compagnie and iii (instrument inventors initiative), supported by Roskot workshop, Les Ateliers Claus and the Flemish Government.
