HÀ NỘI — A concert tour by international artists working in contemporary sound art and performance will kick off on July 13 in Lương Sơn District in the northern province of Hòa Bình.

Entitled Vietnam Harsh Macro Tour 2018, the tour is a part of an art project by veteran contemporary performance artist Đào Anh Khánh. The overall project, called Gầm Trời Valley, will be inaugurated next year.

Khánh from Hà Nội and Nikola H. Mounoud from Montreux, Switzerland will co-perform. Mounoud will use a computer and an analog mixer to shape and transform feedback such as electric oscillation in real time in order to create unique, highly dynamic and rich music that incorporates aspects from contemporary, noise, jazz, classic and techno music.

Duo: Swiss artists Clemydia & Generateurs. — Courtesy Photos of organisers

Khánh will improvise a unique dance performance to the music by Mounoud.

"I was invited to Việt Nam by painter, choreographer and performer Khánh to build a permanent sound installation in his Gầm Trời Valley, which is located in Hòa Bình Province, 50km west of Hà Nội City," said artist Mounoud. "We will perform at Gầm Trời Valley as a rehearsal, as the valley is still in the building process."

Mounoud is sound artist, musician, noisician, performer, composer and improviser. His first permanent sound installation based on the "final gesture" from live performances took place at Đào Anh Khánh’s Studio in Hà Nội in July 2016.

Since 2006, he has toured and performed live music as much as possible around the world.

With very physical and strong performances, Shayne Bowden from Australia uses both electronics effects and voice amplifiers to create powerful, harsh noise live sets.

Noisy: Shayne Bowden from Australia.

Kazehito Seki from Tokyo is an artist using voice amplification—he uses only microphones to amplify his voice, no other effects. Seki has built a reputation since 2006, with projects and performances in Oslo, New York, Fukushima and around Europe.

Two other Swiss artists, FU and Clemydia & Generateurs, will also perform. They all use electronic effects and synthesisers to craft their music.

Khánh is well-known as one of the leading performance artists in Việt Nam. He has held exhibitions in some 15 countries throughout the world, including the US, the UK, France, Switzerland, Spain and China.

He introduced the public to his Gầm Trời Valley project in the northern province of Hòa Bình in 2013, which will be the largest of his career. The project will feature large-scale sculptures and installations gathering international artists.

Vietnam Harsh Macro Tour 2018 will continue at DeN Bar, No 49 Yên Phụ Village on July 14; and at Hanoi Goethe Institute, 56-58 Nguyễn Thái Học Street on July 15.

The tour will also be held without artists Khánh and Bowden at Then Cafe in the central province of Huế on July 19 and Seoul Art Pub in HCM City on July 21. — VNS