Cantata Profana
Matt Stokes
Cantata Profana
Director of Photography - Christopher Häring
Cantata Profana is a 6-screen video installation installed in a semicircle, recalling ancient amphitheatre architecture.
Each of the screens frames one individual musician during an unedited group performance.
The musicians, one from Kassel itself, the others from the United Kingdom, Norway, The Netherlands and the United States, are all vocalists in bands from hardcore, grindcore and death metal scenes.
Stokes and Gough worked with the vocalists to create a composition using traditional choral modes, such as European polyphony, layered with experimental techniques like staccato, noise and texture to present an immersive choral work.
Vocalists featured include: Anders Bakke (She Said Destroy, Norway), Chris Butterworth (Kastrated, UK), Dente (Rompeprop, Netherlands), Alex Hughes (Hatred Surge, USA), Alex Jockel (Krupskaya, UK), Der Kurt
(Paroxysm, Germany).
Cantana Profana was created by Matt Stokes in 2010. Commissioned by Kunsthalle Fridericianum, Germany. Produced by Forma. Supported by De Hallen Haarlem, Netherlands and Arts Council England.
Previous presentations
2015
Dilston Grove, London, UK
2011
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, UK De Hallen Haarlem, Netherlands
2010
Kunsthalle Fridericianum, Kassel, Germany
Duration: 6 mins 48 secs
Behind the Scenes
Director of Photography - Christopher Häring
Cantata Profana is a 6-screen video installation installed in a semicircle, recalling ancient amphitheatre architecture.
Each of the screens frames one individual musician during an unedited group performance.
The musicians, one from Kassel itself, the others from the United Kingdom, Norway, The Netherlands and the United States, are all vocalists in bands from hardcore, grindcore and death metal scenes.
Stokes and Gough worked with the vocalists to create a composition using traditional choral modes, such as European polyphony, layered with experimental techniques like staccato, noise and texture to present an immersive choral work.
Vocalists featured include: Anders Bakke (She Said Destroy, Norway), Chris Butterworth (Kastrated, UK), Dente (Rompeprop, Netherlands), Alex Hughes (Hatred Surge, USA), Alex Jockel (Krupskaya, UK), Der Kurt
(Paroxysm, Germany).
Cantana Profana was created by Matt Stokes in 2010. Commissioned by Kunsthalle Fridericianum, Germany. Produced by Forma. Supported by De Hallen Haarlem, Netherlands and Arts Council England.
Previous presentations
2015
Dilston Grove, London, UK
2011
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, UK De Hallen Haarlem, Netherlands
2010
Kunsthalle Fridericianum, Kassel, Germany
Duration: 6 mins 48 secs
Behind the Scenes
