Maria W Horn’s audiovisual work Aether, a composition for light, brass instruments and electronic sounds, was developed for Public Art Agency Sweden’s new premises in the Kasern II building on the Island of Skeppsholmen in Stockholm.
Comprising two parts, an installation and a performance, the work takes its point of departure in the local history and Per Broman’s 1992 work Eter, located in the entrance of Public Art Agency Sweden.
In ancient and mediaeval natural philosophy, ether was the fifth element, in addition to the four earthly elements of earth, water, air and fire. Ether was the spiritual axis that connected everything in the universe – spirit and energy, elusive and mysterious. Later it was regarded as a light-bearing medium and as a vacuum, that which exists between things and the elements. In Aether, Maria W Horn has been inspired by the mystery of ether and its perceived function as a bearer of that which is invisible and the void that is left behind. Whispered stories, elusive traces and shadows that evoke the history of the place have contributed to the creation of the work.
Kasern II, the building that houses Public Art Agency Sweden, long served as a barracks for the boatmen who worked on Skeppsholmen. Wall tiles from the period remain and traces of the boatmen are to be found in the hooks they used to hang their hammocks. In Aether, Maria W Horn gives voice to the history of the building.
The audiovisual piece was performed at Public Art Agency Sweden on a number of occasions. Including a composition for a brass trio whose sounds complete and enhance the electronic ones, it takes us on a journey beyond time and space.
Interested in how the specific character of a space can be captured with the help of sound, Maria W Horn has previously produced a site-specific work for Public Art Agency Sweden in Luleå at the old prison Vita duvan.
On the Artist
A composer trained in electroacoustic composition, Maria W Horn has, in recent years, expanded acoustic instruments with electronic aids.
Musicians: Ivo Nilsson, Tobias Wiklund, Sami Al Fakir and Emil Strandberg
Application for light control: David Granström
Maria W Horn’s audio visual work was performed at Public Art Agency Sweden during 10 days in February 2023.
