Björk announces 3-week residency in Manchester, UK

Manchester International Festival have announced plans for a three week residency from multimedia artist, Björk, titled Biopilia.

The three week residency, which consists of six 1800 capacity shows and will take place at Campfield Market Hall, will see the artist perform a unique show full of new songs, invented instruments and the introduction of companion apps.

If you are a little confused, fear not as the press release for the event does a great job in explaining the concept behind Björk’s residency:

“Where do music, nature and technology meet? Björk introduces Biophilia, an extraordinary answer to this fascinating question and her most ambitious and exciting work to date. A multi-media project encompassing music, apps, internet, installations and live shows, Biophilia celebrates how sound works in nature, exploring the infinite expanse of the universe, from planetary systems to atomic structure.

“For these six special shows, Björk will be performing new tracks from the forthcoming Biophilia studio album as well as music from her genre-defying back catalogue with a small group of unique musical collaborators. The show will feature a range of specially conceived and crafted instruments, among them a bespoke digitally-controlled pipe organ; a 30 foot pendulum that harnesses the earth’s gravitational pull to create musical patterns – creating a unique bridge between the ancient and the modern; a bespoke gamelan-celeste hybrid; and a one-off extraordinary pin barrel harp. These devices make visible some of the physical processes that are the subject matter of tracks.”

The Biophilia live show takes place on June 30 and July 3, 7, 10, 13 and 16 in Manchester.

Published March 21, 2011.