New musical work Portent (a ritual) to capture the ‘uncanny awe’ of Exmouth eclipse

Inspired by the 2023 total solar eclipse in Exmouth, celebrated contemporary artist Andrew Nicholls has conceived a suite of visual art works speculating about the disaster that this particular eclipse may have been foretelling.

Created in collaboration with acclaimed contemporary classical ensembles Ad Lib Collective and Wind Up Bird, the new musical work Portent (a ritual) will be showcased at Holmes à Court Gallery @ No. 10 throughout February for Perth Festival 2024.

Throughout human history solar eclipses have been viewed as omens of pending disaster. Mimicking the timing of the Exmouth eclipse, audiences will experience a sense of the drama and beauty of this extraordinary solar event, with its frenetic build-up of energy, and the uncanny awe of the ‘moment of totality’.

Get down to Holmes à Court @ No. 10 on Wednesday, February 7 for the official launch of the Portent exhibition, which features the recording of this live performance.

The Portent (a ritual) exhibition runs from Saturday, February 10 to Saturday, March 16 at Holmes à Court Gallery @ No. 10 for Perth Festival 2024. Entry is free. For more info, head to perthfestival.com.au