Directed by Angie Eng
Video-Angie Eng
live video camera: Nancy Meli Walker
Percussion, electronics: Satoshi Takeishi
Cello, electronics, voice: Audrey Chen
Piano: Shoko Nagai
Max Programmer/VideoBass inventor: Michael Egger
Premiere Performance: October 9, 2011 8pm
New York Electronic Festival @ Roulette Intermedium
Liminal is a cinépoeme concert that continues the tradition of visual music by combining new inventive tools such as the VideoBass, French avant garde experimental cinema tricks and customized music/video software (Max, Jitter, VDMX and Module 8). This collaboration of music and video crosses genres: experimental jazz, neo-abstract expressionism, puppetry and live experimental cinema.
Liminal is made up of a a series of live video music cinepoems based upon the concept of liminality, coined by ethnologist, Arnold Van Gennep (1909). Van Gennep defines liminality as the period of transition in traditional rituals after detachment and before integration of the group. Social anthropologist and Theatre artist, Victor Turner expanded upon this idea by applying it to counter-culture movements, modern religions and communal festivals. Symbols of liminality (eclipse, ceremonial mask, isolation, fear, bridges, wilderness, pilgrimage) and sociological explanations (crisis, mania, ghosts, draught) are integrated into the video with: live drawing, manipulated object, archival footage and video shot by Eng.
In one of the cinepoems, Monsters, Eng describes fear inherent in developmental rituals by drawing portraits of film stills taken from classic horror films such as Dracula, Daughters of Horror and Nosferatu. The rhythm of frantic hand gestures is in dialogue with unpredictable and aggressive playing of the cello. Another cinepoem, Liminal combines magic squares with archival footage of men crossing and jumping on bridges. In Totemic, a rock is placed central with a backdrop of tribal designs and live video of feathers, blocks and forms as keyholes.
photo by Joshua Kristal
For the premiere of Liminal on October 9, 2011 during the closing of the New York Electronic festival, Eng will introduce her new instrument the VideoBass invented by swiss engineer/artist Michael Egger. The VideoBass is an unique hardware/software-combination for controlling live-visuals. Shaped like a electric bass-guitar, it relies on the guitar-paradigm where, the left hand chooses between a wide variety of possible notes, and the right hand triggers them, nobs change digital effects and a foot pedal captures a live feed. Eng commissioned Egger to develop a customized VideoBass which he has been developing since 2003. She will introduce the VideoBass in on of the cinepoems with music composed by Takeshi.
Special guest video artist Nancy Meli Walker will join us for the last cinepoem after a 10 year absence from the live video performance scene. Nancy Meli Walker has been making live experimental video since the 80′s in Tokyo and New York City.
Conferences of VideoBass
October 6, Eyebeam Art and Technology Center 7pm
October 10, Harvestworks 7pm (Q/A for Liminal with Angie Eng /Michael Egger)
Support for this project provided by: Harvestworks, Experimental Television Finishing Funds, Roulette Intermedia, mediaThe foundation inc., Foundation for Contemporary Arts and The MacDowell Colony for the Arts.


