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Less than Thirteen

Foyer Installation

Photo of Sir Simon Rattle conducting

Less than Thirteen is a large-scale projected artwork, which interprets the movement of Sir Simon Rattle conducting Elgar’s Enigma Variations, reducing his form to a series of animated dots.

As part of This is Rattle, the Barbican and LSO have jointly commissioned this new digital work from artistic duo Cleary Connolly for the Concert Hall Wall. It explores the inherent musicality of movement, investigating how the conductor’s movement, although silent, can conjure up such an aural response from the orchestra.

Less than Thirteen draws on Gunnar Johansson’s theories of perception, which showed that as few as thirteen moving points can be fully understood as a human body. Sir Simon Rattle is visualized as such, making abstract movements to evoke melody and music in the minds of visitors. The work is part of the Barbican's foyer commissions programme which extend the Barbican’s ambitious, international artistic programme giving visitors opportunities to experience outstanding art for free.

Projections by Christie Digital LOGO

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