The Great Animal Orchestra at the Fondation Cartier July 2, 2016 to January 8, 2017
An exceptional exhibition in an exceptional place, 500 meters away from the hotel: The Great Animal Orchestra
The Fondation Cartier is located 500 meters on the left side of Hotel Raspail Montparnasse, and it would be a shame not to visit it during your stay in Paris, particularly on the occasion of this exhibition, likely to offer some beautiful surprises.
Designed by the architect Jean Nouvel, the Fondation Cartier is a spectacular demonstration of integration of aerial architecture into a city brought to life by a vast array of natural spaces.
The Great Animal Orchestra exhibition is inspired by the work of Bernie Krause. This extraordinary musician, doctor in bioacoustics, created the concept he calls “biophony”, a group of sounds generated by nature other than those produced by man (anthropophony).
Over the course of 40 years, Bernie Krause has amassed more than 4,500 hours of recordings made in natural environments. From humpback whale songs to the cries of the mountain gorillas of Rwanda, down to the groans of shifting Arctic glaciers and rumbling thunder – for Bernie Krause, these sounds organize and arrange themselves into a symphony.
All of this doesn’t make Bernie Krause a an autistic savant in search of a deserted shrine. In the 60s and 70s, he worked with big names like George Harrison and The Doors. He also worked on the music for Rosemary’s Baby and Apocalypse Now.
Shortly after the publication of his book “The Great Animal Orchestra”, Bernie Krause was contacted by the composer Richard Blackford. The two men met and the work continued:
The exhibition brings together a group of artists from around the world that engages the public to “immerse themselves in aesthetic meditation, both audio and visual,” at a time when the threats to the animal and vegetal world are growing ever more worrisome.
Fondation Cartier
261 Boulevard Raspail, 75014 Paris
From 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday
Website : http://fondation.cartier.com/#/en/home
For further information:
Read the Fondation Cartier’s publication about the exhibition: Clic here
“Le grand orchestre de la nature est peu à peu réduit au silence [The great orchestra of nature is gradually silenced]” [French only] – Le Monde: Clic here
Listen to the Great Animal Orchestra: Clic here
Listen to Bernie Krause’s recordings: Clic here
Visit Katherine Krause’s website, “Wild Sanctuary”: Clic here
Watch Bernie Krause and George Martin, BBC: Clic here
