ALLUSIONS
Allusion is a literary device that involves making indirect or subtle references to other works, events, individuals, or ideas within a literary text or communication. It is a way of adding depth, complexity, and layers of meaning to one's words.Instead of explicitly stating something, allusion relies on the reader's or listener's familiarity with the reference being made. When done effectively, allusion can enrich the understanding and impact of a text or dialogue by evoking emotions, memories, or associations related to the reference.
What happens when we venture into unfamiliar territories, where our cultural references and allusions lose their power? How does communication unfold when allusion, which normally serves as a bridge between our thoughts and common understanding, can no longer bear the weight of complex themes and ideas?
In such moments, we face a kind of existential tension.
"Allusions" is a comprehensive audiovisual concert experience that addresses precisely this theme and the tension that arises when discovering a whole world beyond what one knows.
It explores the act of seeking places where one doesn't naturally belong because the desire to grow surpasses the fear of not understanding or being understood. It delves into the ongoing process of learning and how one emerges in encounters with others and their reference points.
A HIDDEN PLACE
Longdurational work for piano and electronics. Allowing audiences to come and stay for a while in a calm and meditative room with live music.
Performed in 2022 and 2023 - Oslo, Bodø and Tromsø.
WHY THIS PROJECT?
One year into the pandemic, I wished for a place where I could just go and rest, to close the world out, and at the same time feel the presence of people around me. This gave me the idea for «A Hidden Place». I wanted it to be like an exhibition or installation, giving the audience a chance to stay as long as they needed. I resulted in a performance where I played the piano consecutively for 4 hours, 3 days in a row. I created music with electronic landscapes mixed with acoustic piano.
The project was first performed in Tromsø in March 2022. The next year, I played it for an audience in Oslo, Bodø and Tromsø, including 13 children concerts. The concerts in Bodø and Tromsø were hosted by Arctic Philharmonic.
"It was magical. Just to enter the room where the atmosphere already was created. This is medicine and everyone should experience it. I wish I could stay the whole time."
- Anonymous audience
MUSIC FOR SILENT FILM
RIEN QUE LES HEURES
In 2023, Elfrida and I got a commission from Silent Film Days in Tromsø. We were asked to write music for the Silent Film "Nothing But Time" from 1926 by the Brazilian director Alberto Cavalcanti.
The film is both experimental and avant garde, and blends documentary and staged drama in a hybrid form. We are examining the urban landscape and the people who inhabit it. Brazilian director, Cavalcanti, states his mission in the beginning of NOTHING BUT TIME: “This is not a depiction of the fashionable and elegant life ... but of the everyday life of the humble, the downtrodden." We follow the miserable places of Paris, and at the same time we meet five characters in the dramatized scenes.
The film is considered the first of the city symphonies, which reputedly inspired Dziga Vertov in his making of "The Man with the Movie Camera".
The film was performed during Silent Film Days ini April 2023, and at Mirage Filmfestival in Oslo, October 2023.
ENSEMBLE KALEIDOSKOP
Ensemble Kaleidoskop was founded by Claudia Lucacel, Mirsaeed Hosseiny Panah and Bjørk-Guinevere Kinsella Eide in 2024. It is an ensemble focusing on musical theatre for children.
About the project
The ensemble did their first production "Rød-Blå-Gul" (Red-blue-yellow) at Gamle Munch scene in Oslo, May 2024. Since then, they have performed in various scenes in Oslo and were in 2025 invited to the International Children's Festival i Bursa, Turkey - where they performed and held workshops for over 100 kids.
The production is inspired by the universe of colors, and how the colors connect to emotions from a very early age. In the musical theatre, the audience will meet the happy Sun (yellow), the energetic Phoenix (red) and the Night Princess (blue) who is searching for her stars. It is an engaging performance for kids in the age of 0-6 years old.
The production is co-produced by VoxLAB and Anima Kultur Arena. The ensemble has received support from FFUK, Kulturrådet and Oslo Kommune. They have been reviewed by Scenekunst.no.
