Fehn/9 + Fehn/10

Gisle Nataas I Håkon Thelin

Saturday, 23 September, at 16:00–17:00

Gyldendalhuset

Free

Showings and tickets

Saturday, 23/09

16:00–17:00

Gyldendalhuset

Free

Open House Oslo celebrates architecture and urban design, unlocking significant buildings and fostering connections among the city's designers and its residents. One highlighted venue is Gyldendaalhuset, designed by renowned architect Sverre Fehn. Architect and sound artist Gisle Nataas has been developing his project ‘Architecture as instrument/The sound of architecture’ since 2016. It involves short concerts in which field recordings from selected buildings designed by Fehn are sampled live, looped and improvised over to create a beautiful musical experience.

As an Ultima and Open House Oslo exclusive, Nataas has selected the Gyldendaalhuset, home of one of Norway’s oldest publishing houses. He collaborates with double bassist Håkon Thelin in a duo involving both captured sounds and improvisation. Nataas gives Fehn’s architecture a voice by using wall-mounted microphones which take sonic information from the building’s materials – concrete, glass, stone and wood.

Programme

Fehn/9 with Gisle Nataas (electronics)
Sound performance based on field recordings from Storhamarlåven museum by architect Sverre Fehn completed in 1974, performed in Gyldendalhuset by architect Sverre Fehn completed in 2007. A meeting between two of architect Fehn's projects.

Fehn/10 with Gisle Nataas (electronics) and Håkon Thelin (double bass)
Sound performance with field recordings and live sounds from Gyldendalhuset's architecture in composed and improvised interaction with bassist Håkon Thelin.

Gyldendalhuset will be open to the public during the Open House Oslo weekend. Opening times and updates here.

ultimAdvisor

Søyle

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New life for an old building

Sverre Fehn’s elegant conversion of the old Gyldendaal building is already one of my favourite architectural treasures of Oslo. Nataasprobed and paid tribute to this enhanced space with a tactile, spacious electronic mix. The building – already resurrected by the architect and modernised with a new roof over a former outdoor courtyard – came alive once more.

Rosin651

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Buildings and basslines

I really want to praise Håkon Thelin, one of the most adventurous avantgarde bass players in Norway today. Impressive listening skills! He manages to coax unexpected sounds from hisinstrument while remaining sensitive to the space around him and to the needs of thisparticular collaboration.