ARK

The University Museum of Bergen’s Natural History Collection is an archive of histories, discoveries and speculations. It is a chronicle of adventures – not only human and animal but also vegetable and mineral; a place in which we are invited to contemplate our past, present and future impact on this earth. 

It is also a place of refuge for shadows and reflections. 

Under the spell cast by this collection, Alwynne created ARK – a performance of story telling, poetry, music and song. Created for the ensemble Currentes, ARK is scored for eight musicians: three voices, recorder(s), spinet, guitar(s), violin and bass viol. In addition, two narrators (one adult, one child) are required.

Although ARK is ideally suited for performance in a natural history museum environment, it can also be presented in other locations.

I take a step and in one step I am enveloped in enshrouded by 
shadow beak and shadow claw 
I am in shadows cast in shadows (and reflections) 
such that this timespace 
a liminal crepuscular time is at all times night and day

ARK was commissioned with funds from Det norske komponistfond.

Photos: Andrius Šliažas and Alwynne Pritchard.