GET TICKETS FOR THE PREMIERE AND ONLY CONCERT! SUNDAY AUG 24:TH AT 18.00


HOLOCENE is a collaborative artwork by author Majgull Axelsson, composer Jonas Bohlin and video artist Lars Siltberg.

The premiere takes place in Berwaldhallen august 24, 2008. Music is performed by Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Radiochoir and solo singer Malena Ernman, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Axelsson, Bohlin and Siltberg travelled together through arctica with icebreaker Oden in the summer of 2005, from Sweden, through the north west passage, to Alaska, taking part of the artist programme of the Swedish Polar Research Institute. From their experiences of the arctic environment they create a work including music, film and lyrics. From their personal artistic perspective they form a collective investigation of contemporary dystopias.

The rapid climat changes we seem to be facing has greatly increased the interest for the arctic area over the last years. The future for the arctic ice cap is constantly debated. This work pictures a future with great human potential, and ponders the history of mankind from an historical aswell as an analytic perspective. It has the form of a cinematic oratorio. With nearly 130 musicians present on stage and a phantasmgorical vision above their heads, the piece will reflect not only the sublime environment that the arctic represents but also lay out a protoscientific view on human evolution.

THE STAGE PERFORMANCE
The music will be performed by The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra (90 musicians) and The Swedish Radio Choir (32 singers) together with solo singer Malena Ernman. Sustained above the musicians a large video screen will show the new video work by Lars Siltberg containing staged sequences in a protoscientific spirit, showing half human creatures. Intertwained with material from the arctic ice cap. The lyrics by Majgull Axelsson sung by the choir and soloists.

DVD
The music, lyrics and video to be avaliable in early 2009. Containing live version of the performance at Berwaldhallen and extra material from the creation process up to the final concert, such as interviews whith the artists as well as visual material left out in the stage performance.

Film produced by Erik Pauser and Lars Siltberg.