Once every two years, international biennal festival Graphic Matters shows it’s visitors the impact of graphic design on our daily lives. In 2019 Graphic Matters presented their seventh edition with an exhibition about INFORMATION SUPERPOWER. To make this theme perceptible in other ways, Powered by TINC organized a series about graphic scores during the festival, including live performances from Oene van Geel, Ruben de Grauw, Julian Edwardes, Aart Strootman and Brendan Faegre.

Making music readable is generally done with sheet music. However, there are other forms of communicating musical language. For Graphic Matters, Powered by TINC invited music creators to share their vision on written, musical language. What forms exist, and what do these shapes and forms mean for music? During the series these music creators individually shared their vision on graphic scores at Podium Bloos.

Header photo: Almichael Fraay

Friday 20 September: Oene van Geel 

In honour of the opening of the festival and this series, composer, viola player and Boy Edgar winner Oene van Geel created a new graphic score. Performance with: Pau Sola Masafrets (cello) and Oleg Fateev (accordeon).

Photos by: Almichael Fraay | Rob Lipsius

Sunday 29 September: Daan Manneke – Koninginnepage

This fall, composer Daan Manneke celebrated his 80^th birthday. For Talking Matters, conductor Ruben de Grauw brought together a choir for an inspiring performance of Mannekes graphic score ‘Koninginnepage’.

Photos by: Edwin Wiekens

Sunday 6 October: Julian Edwardes

Musician Julian Edwardes explores the framework of his improvisations with modular synthesizers. Graphic Matters offered him a graphic score, which Julian – inspired by algorithms and patterns – performed during Talking Matters for the first time. With his background in the visual arts, and studies at St Joost, this was a very memorable performance!

Photos by: Joost van Asch

Sunday 13 October: Aart Strootman

Composer, guitarist and Matthijs Vermeulen 2019 winner Aart Strootman develops new instruments. In this process he creates new forms of graphic scores. For example, for his project W.A.L.L. he wrote a piece for selfmade instruments, such as microtonal tubular bells and glass marimbas. During Talking Matters he spoke about his search for innovation, followed by a performance of his work.

Photos by: Edwin Wiekens

Sunday 20 October: Brendan Faegre

American composer and percussionist Brendan Faegre transformed a graphic score into a performance with drums, synthesizer and electronics.

Photos by: Rosa Meininger