The Sound of Creation sound paintings by Beezy Bailey and Brian Eno

Collateral Event of the 56th International Art Exhibition - la Biennale di Venezia

Art and Music are often considered as polar opposites: music tends to be associated with spiritually due to its immaterial nature; and art is typically more tangible as it is expressed in plastic constructed forms such as painting and sculpture. “The Sound of Creation: sound paintings by Beezy Bailey and Brian Eno” is a collateral event during the Biennale Arte 2015 that will be exhibited from May 7th to Novem- ber 22nd 2015. The exhibition will take place in Palazzo Pisani (home to the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory of Music) and is composed of a selection of painted works accompanied by corresponding musical tracks as the result of a creative collaboration between the artist Beezy Bailey, and the composer and music theorist Brian Eno. The two curators, Luca Berta and Francesca Giubilei, together with the artists aim to pres- ent a reflection on the interaction between the senses of sight and sound.

The exhibition progresses in a vertical manner as works are displayed along the grand staircase of the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory. As a result, the visitor is guided along an ascending physical and emotional journey, inviting them to im- merse themselves in the creative experience created by the two artists. Starting from the courtyard of the palace and continuing up along the staircase will be over 40 different works, some of which are presented with accompanying music pieces that can be listened to via headphones. At the top the exhibition is concluded in small rooms that are immersed in light and music where visitors can take the opportunity to enjoy a spectacular view of Venice whilst they experience the unique unity of Art and Music. The exhibition intends to propose a new way of appreciating and seeing art and music as music, art, and the city combine to create an existential experience of musical and artistic vision. Music and image are united as visitors listen to the music not just with their ears, and as they look at the images not just with their eyes. The artists have made music visible and given an image to sound.

Beezy Bailey (Johannesburg, South Africa, 1962) is an artist that utilizes various expressive mediums in his art ranging from painting, sculpture, printmaking and performance. During a career that spans 30 years, Bailey has exhibited in numerous solo exhibitions in London, Johannesburg, and Cape Town, as well as group shows all around the world. Music has consistently played a pervasive role in the production of his work and many projects are the result of deep and intimate artistic collaborations with renowned musicians such a David Bowie, Dave Matthews, and Brian Eno.

Brian Eno (Woodbridge, England, 1948) has worked as a composer, musician, record producer, singer, sound engineer, music theorist, and a philosopher. He has been heralded as the inventor of ambient music and was the pioneer of music genres such as new wave and new age. Eno’s musical interest was inspired by the music of artists such as John Cage, La Monte Young, and Terry Riley. For Eno, music transcends any specific musical event as it pushes into the realm of pure sound in the listener’s psy- che. He is celebrated for his experiments with generative music, a term that describes software-generated music that has an ever different and changing nature. Generative music marked a new era in music composition, allowing for creativity and human intuition to interact with the practice of stochastic improvisation implemented via computer software. In addition to his musical advancements, since the 80s Eno has been experimenting with painting, sculpture, and video art.

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