Arts House Presents SPECTRAL

In April, Arts House will present Spectral - a one-week season that delves into the visceral interface between sound and light with leading artists Robin Fox, Meagan Streader, Hanna Chetwin, Jannah Quill and Kusum Normoyle.

Arts House Artistic Director, Emily Sexton, explains that Spectral will be a visual spectacular, "We cannot wait to have this collection of artists at Arts House - in particular the next generation of outstanding female artists who are making their mark on the electronic and experimental audio-visual music scene."

Throughout the week, two illuminating exhibitions: Quadra by Robin Fox and the premiere of Echoes by Meagan Streader will create transformative worlds that beam with light.

Echoes is a series of site-specific sculptural installations using lasers, fluorescence and neon to reimagine space through illumination.

Fox's immersive sound and light installation Quadra uses four highpowered lasers to articulate and distort space through a helix of bounce mirrors.

Echoes and Quadra will culminate in two nights of special gigs: Spectral: between light and sound that will feature works never seen before in Melbourne, as well as new commissions for Arts House - evolved iterations of SIGHT by Jannah Quill and Salt by Hanna Chetwin.

After touring the world across England, Europe, Canada and Mexico, Single Origin by Fox will finally be seen in his home town of Melbourne for two nights only as part of Spectral: between light and sound.

Described as laser madness, Single Origin is the third in a series of works that explore laser and sound possibilities of mechanically-induced synaesthesia - it's a joining of senses where light may be heard and sound may be seen.

On Wednesday (17 April), Spectral: between light and sound will also feature two works by Hanna Chetwin, Salt and Opaquing, that experiment with the textural and rhythmic possibilities of expanded 16mm films, with music composed by Rohan Drape (Salt) and James Rushford (Opaquing) performed live.

SIGHT by Quill will be presented on Thursday (18 April) - it is the first major presentation of her ongoing experimentation with solar panels as an instrument and includes lighting design by House of Vnholy.

The line up of for the two nights of Spectral: between light and sound is completed with Kusum Normoyle's brutal and energising full scream interventions.

Normoyle creates a feedback system, playing the feedback with her body and voice for a highly embodied audience experience.