What is the nature of human touch and human contact in contemporary music performance, both in general and in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic?

In the Summer of 2019, a small family forest fell victim to a spruce bark beetle plague. Unusually mild winters caused larvae numbers to explode, and extreme drought weakened the otherwise more resilient trees.

This exposition reflects on the drawings I was making at different stages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In my practice as an artist, I constantly return to the dark agency of cosmic and (micro)biological matter. I explore how it may transform, “infect” or enter into symbiotic relationships, that are linguistic, visual, and trans-material in the spirit of Karen Barad.

The exposition ”Smitte som skapelsemaskin” (Contagion as a creation machine) is based on the artistic project Kroppsliturgiske eksperimenter that explores the boundaries emerging when performing arts and human bodies enter the sacred space of a church.

Filmed discussion between Anna Lindal, musician, and main editor of issue #6, Eliot Moleba, PhD candidate in theater direction at KHiO and Gunhild Mathea Olaussen, scenographer and sound artist, about the theme of VIS #6, “Contagion”.