FIS is an audioreactive 360° performance that explores the musical notation system in a speculative and experimental way. Musical notation allows us to fix the notes of a melody, as well as pitch and duration, providing an essential communicative structure through universally agreed-upon graphic symbols. Throughout history, musical notation has constantly evolved, adapting to new developments and inspiring innovative forms. Why not take the next step into three-dimensional space?
FIS begins by recording a contemporary, electronically experimental composition in the form of traditional two-dimensional notation. Over the course of the performance, however, it introduces a third axis - a third dimension - leading to an exploration of three-dimensional musical notation, a bold and groundbreaking experiment.
The composition for FIS was specially developed by pianist Jona Hahn, based on the reinterpretation of a simple melodic theme from the final scene of the 2007 film Persuasion. This motif initiates the improvisation and reappears at the end, creating a cohesive arc for the listener. The sonic character is shaped by a fusion of acoustic piano, enhanced with effects, and an analog synthesizer. While these elements contrast sharply, they ultimately merge into a unified auditory experience. The harmonic structure, inspired by Interstellar, serves as the foundation for the entire piece, with both the piano and synthesizer evoking the infinite vastness of outer space—here, the endless expanse of digital space. The natural reverberation of the Visiodrom amplifies the immersive quality of the music, transporting visitors into another world.
The Visiodrom inside Wuppertal’s Gaskessel, with its six projection screens covering 6,500 square meters, towering over 40 meters in height and spanning 38 meters in diameter, is Europe's largest 360° screen - an extraordinary venue for an audiovisual experiment like FIS.
FIS was one of five media art performances featured at Raumstaben: Dynamic Forms of Communication, an event that took place on September 19, 2023, at the Visiodrom.
"Our destiny is not frightening because it is unreal; it is frightening because it is irreversible and unyielding. Time is a river that carries me away, but I am the river; it is a tiger that devours me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire that consumes me, but I am the fire."
(Jorge Luis Borges, 1952)
Singing: Lilly Gocht (Jazz Singing)
Dance: Kanna Mori (Contemporary Dance)
Project Management: Enya Alma Obert
Costume Design: B’atriz Creaciones (Cologne)
Photography: Kimberly Jüschke
