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A ribbed PVC tube twisted into some kind of Celtic knot. A hollow circle with a little hole. A jar with a spout. Over the past year, Toni Brell (1985) has been studying non-traditional musical instruments: objects that make music, but are dissimilar in shape and sound from the instruments you would usually find in an orchestra. Brell uses ceramics and commonplace materials to create their own versions of such non-traditional instruments. Most of these are somewhat ambiguous in character and seem to hover between utilitarian object and artwork.
In the interactive, ongoing performance, Toward an Undulating present (2024), Brell explores the various possibilities these instruments presents. The artist knocks on them, shakes them, taps them, rubs them, blows into them, listens to them, and invites the audience to help them listen, tap, and touch. The performance plays with expectations. Can an object be used for something that is very different from its original function? And, if so, what would that look like? Or more importantly: What would that sound like?
In Brell’s installations and performances text, sound, and objects often play a central role. In their more recent performances the emphasis is increasingly placed on sensory experiences, such as hearing, touching, and tasting. Their art often contains an interactive element. The artist attempts to create an intimate setting where the audience is invited to discover peculiarity in the familiar.
Text: Sarah van Binsbergen
Translated from Dutch by Marie Louise Schoondergang (The Art of Translation)