Unheard-of + The Gowanus Dredgers Present: Fire Ecologies

Details
  • Gowanus Canal, near the Smith-9th Streets G/F station
  • September 18, 2021
    6:30 pm

Join Unheard-of Ensemble and The Gowanus Dredgers on September 18th for the paddle-in premiere of Fire Ecologies, a unique musical and visual experience that explores American landscapes through the lens of climate change.

Composer Christopher Stark and multimedia artist Zlatko Ćosić embarked on a journey across the United States capturing audio and video for this multimedia experience. The work incorporates field recordings of the 2020 California wildfires along with sonic and visual imagery from Chris’s trip across Montana, Oregon, and California as well as parts of Colorado. Zlatko gathered footage from the American heartland surrounding Missouri as well as long form explorations of nature surrounding St. Louis. Ford Fourqurean from Unheard-of gathered footage from New York and the Gowanus Canal with help from the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club and from the Gowanus Canal Conservancy.

This premiere performance takes place on the Gowanus Canal, near the Smith-9th Streets G/F station, with the shoreline talk and boat launch at 6:30pm, and performance taking place at 7:30pm. Specific location details will be provided to all ticket holders in advance of the event.

The audience can immerse themselves in the experience on the Gowanus, enjoying the program from on land or on water. Limited boat access and on-water support are provided by The Gowanus Dredgers. Attendees may arrive in their own vessels, as well.

In addition to Fire Ecologies, the ensemble will open the program with the premiere of Rose 31 by Netherlands-based No Plexus with text by Iobhai, Brian Ellis’s Someone’s Moon, and Doug Bielmeier’s Corporate Responsibility Pledge with video art by Allison Tanenhaus.

Christopher Stark’s Fire Ecologies commission has been made possible by the Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Program, with generous funding provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The commission of No Plexus is made possible through support of the Performing Arts Fund Netherlands.