ARTS & MUSIC CURATOR
Research on the interrelation between the arts has a preferential place among the diverse activities of Joan Cerveró, occupying a preferential place, as it could not be otherwise, the music. One of his fields of research is the figure of John Cage and his influence on the development of music, as a performative activity and musical thought, especially on the relationship of the image and the sound gesture. As a result of these proposals, he has curated various exhibitions on this subject. These are some references about these exhibitions.
jOHN CAGE
paisajes imaginarios, conciertos & musicircus
JOHN CAGE
IMAGINARY LANDSCAPES, CONCERTS & MUSICIRCUS
Project curated by Joan Cerveró
John Cage was an unclassifiable musician and without a doubt one of the most influential figures in contemporary music and musical thought since Arnold Schoenberg. His unique way of understanding music and his peculiar personality made his appearance in the world of music an event for some and a provocation for others.
In the exhibition project 'John Cage/Imaginary Landscapes, Concerts & Musicircus' , the curator director and composer Joan Cerveró wanted to present the figure of Cage as a living and contemporary figure, enabling with this exhibition a total immersion in the artist's thought through his music. For this, Cerveró turned the Espai d'Art Contemporani de Castelló into a concert space, a multiple stage, a meeting place where continuous events took place and where the relationship with John Cage was carried out not only as mere spectators but also in a participatory way.
One of the main initiatives of this exhibition, apart from live music, was the theatricalization (installation) of different scenarios, in the manner of ‘Imaginary Landscapes, where Cage's works were presented and performed. These spaces were specifically designed for the EACC as small installations, turning the exhibition hall into a large sound installation. At the same time, a series of activities was programmed to learn about and deepen the composer's thinking, which included round tables, conferences, courses, auditions, workshops, film series, operas and other events related to the work and thought of John Cage, presented by national and international specialists in the figure of the North American composer..
The composer's monographic concert cycle was presented by the most prestigious musicians and specialists in his work such as the Arditti String Quartet, the Percussion Group of The Hague, the German group Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin, the pianist Margaret Leng Tan, the Ballet of the Centro de Artes Escénicas de Sevilla, and the Grup Instrumental de València, ensemble this one that took charge of the interpretation and premiere of the comprehensive series of Europeras by John Cage for the first time in Europe. These concerts were also accompanied by a series of auditions and pedagogical concerts performed by musicians of a higher level, under the direction of the soloists from the Grup Instrumental de València, which under the name of Antiphon Ensemble Project sought the training and involvement of musicians and the public to expand the knowledge of the contemporary repertoire.
Coinciding with the opening of this exhibition was performed a Musicircus, a simultaneous concert of more than thirty different sound sources, which is produced according to an "organized" system through the 'I Ching', a Chinese divinatory and moral book by which Cage was truly passionate and studious. Around 400 musicians from different origins took part in this event: bands, students, rock groups, choirs, amateur musicians, ensembles, DJs, and an unknown number of interested volunteers who participated in this unique event.
During the months that this exhibition-concert lasted, more than 100 works by John Cage were performed, making it the most important event held to date in Spain around the figure of this artist.
This exhibition was nominated as one of the five best exhibitions in Spain in the year 2008.
