The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association announces the West Coast premiere of Björk Digital, an exhibition of groundbreaking digital and virtual reality (VR) video works featuring music from the artist’s latest album, Vulnicura. Björk Digital will run from May 19 to June 4 at Magic Box at The Reef in downtown Los Angeles. In conjunction with Björk Digital, Björk will also make her Walt Disney Concert Hall debut, performing with orchestra in a concert conducted by Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason on May 30. Tickets for the exhibition and for the concert go on sale on Monday, March 6, at 10AM PST.
Björk’s concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall will be a special addition to the LA Phil’s Reykjavík Festival, highlighting the profound musical creativity from Iceland’s capital.
A pioneer in music, art, and technology, Björk has worked with a collection of world-renowned directors, programmers, and visual artists to create a series of innovative virtual reality works displayed throughout a series of rooms. Björk Digital will invite guests to experience these immersive works through the latest in virtual reality technology.
The Björk Digital exhibition is a series of experiences: this begins with six VR experiences where users are transported with custom headsets; then, the Biophilia room, a hands-on educational space which showcases Björk’s innovative apps and custom-made musical instruments, encouraging users to dive into an exploration of musicology, science and technology; and finally, the Cinema room, a curated program of Björk’s extensive and groundbreaking music videos spanning her career thus far, remastered for a unique exhibition cinema experience. Included will be videos directed by Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, Alexander McQueen, and many more.
The VR experiences will include:
Stonemilker VR – Filmed on a remote beach location in Iceland and directed by Andrew Thomas Huang, Stonemilker VR presents Björk in a windswept 360-degree film performing the first track from Vulnicura.
Black Lake VR – Commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Black Lake VR features a custom-built immersive space featuring a bespoke, cutting-edge surround sound setup to create an immersive and visceral virtual reality experience. Filmed in the highlands of Iceland, the video was directed by Andrew Thomas Huang.
Quicksand VR – Featuring a 3-D printed headpiece by Neri Oxman, Quicksand VR captures Björk’s live performance at Miraikan, Tokyo, in augmented virtual reality. The work was created in close collaboration with Dentsu Lab Tokyo.
Mouthmantra VR – Directed by Jesse Kanda, Mouthmantra VR transports the viewer to the inside of Björk’s mouth for an intense and intimate experience as she sings the video’s title track.
Family VR – Directed by Andrew Thomas Huang with co-creative direction by Björk and James Merry, Family is the centerpiece in the VR anthology for Vulnicura, encapsulating the full emotional arc of Björk’s journey from despair to empowerment.
Notget VR – Directed by Warren du Prees and Nick Thornton Jones, Notget VR presents Björk as a stunning digital moth giantess transformed by masks created by James Merry.
PROGRAM DETAILS:
Friday, May 19 – Sunday, June 4, 10AM-9PM
Björk Digital
Magic Box at The Reef
1933 S. Broadway, Los Angeles
The Björk Digital experience is approximately 90 minutes. Guests are strongly encouraged to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to exhibition entry time.
Tuesday, May 30, 8:30PM
Björk with Orchestra
Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason, conductor
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles
Tickets for the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 2016/17 season at Walt Disney Concert Hall are currently available. To purchase, please visit LAPhil.com
