9-23 Nov 2007 "Vaucanson's Duck" - Ernie Althoff, Robbie Avenaim, Dale Gorfinkal and more.

*Vaucanson’s Duck*
Vaucanson’s Duck brings together, for the first time, three unique instrument builders and sonic thinkers to construct a special sound installation and a series of concerts at Bus.
Ernie Althoff, Robbie Avenaim and Dale Gorfinkel will provide a site-specific collaboration utilising their diverse array of wondrous automated music inventions, continuously challenging and mesmerising audiences both sonically and visually.

Evening concerts will feature Ernie, Robbie and Dale along
with guest performers:
9/11 Opening 7pm Dale Gorfinkel, Robbie Avenaim, Ernie Althoff
10/11 Dave Brown
11/11 Closed (S.S.L - Dale Gorfinkel and Robbie Avenaim @ the Toff 12/11 James Wilkinson & Rosalind Hall
13/11 Oren Ambarchi
14/11 Robin Fox
15/11 Erick Mitsak
16/11 Sean Baxter
17/11 Paul Wain
18/11 closed - (WOG - Ray Ahn & Robbie Avenaim @ the Toff)
19/11 Graeme Leak and Rod Cooper
20/11 Anthony Pateras
21/11 Dale Gorfinkel, Robbie Avenaim, Ernie Althoff
22/11 Natasha Anderson
23/11 Phillip Samartzis

*ALL performances (10/11 - 23/11) 8pm, $8* *The Gallery is open Wed-Fri 12-6 and Sat 12-5.*


Jacques Vaucanson (French, 1709-1782).Vaucanson’s Duck is perhaps the most famous automaton that has ever existed. Vaucanson wanted to construct moving anatomical figures which could be used by doctors and surgeons to demonstrate bodily operations. Arriving In Paris at age 26, he lacked money for these experiments and decided instead to produce “some machines that could excite public curiosity.” In 1738 he presented before the Academie Royale des Sciences three automata - a drummer, a flute player and the duck. They met with an immediate and enormous success - not only among the public but with savants as well.The duck was exhibited with great acclaim throughout Europe,fell
into ruins, was repaired, lost, and rediscovered, and was last sited in the 1860s.

Bus 117 Lt Lonsdale St Melbourne 3000 Bus acknowledges the support of the Australia Council (the Federal Government's arts funding and advisory body), Arts Victoria & Troika

Comments

Greg Wadley said…
I went to the first of these last night. 'Twas good. The machines make interesting sounds and are good conversation starters to boot.
clinton said…
I went on the Monday night with Graeme Leak and Rod Cooper. Very enjoyable, I love seeing a room full of Ernie's weird machines. Each of the two sets were very restrained on the part of all performers, allowing the multiple sound-sources plenty of space. I enjoyed the Graeme Leak one best, he seemed to fit in very well with the Altholff/Avenaim/Gorfinkal trio easily, even though it seemed he had not previously met Avenaim or Gorfinkal before. He used a variety of junky percussion instruments and a kind of mandolin made out of an old tin can.

In his set, Rod Cooper played a kind of double turntable, augmented with his usual springs. No records, just contact mics on the turntable-like devices. This set didn't gell quite as well, but still very enjoyable.

Got some photos and video, will see if I can post it here sometime in future.