Image courtesy of Johnathan Holmok

What sort of sound does a circle make? Early twentieth-century Russian painter Vasily Kandinsky, who is believed to have had synesthesia—the ability to "hear" colors, or experience physical sensations in response to visual or auditory stimuli—wrote that a circle could be "simultaneously loud and soft."

That theory will be tested in two upcoming sound performances at EFA Project Space. Johnathan Holmok and his ensemble—Jasmine Bloch-Krempels, Andrew DeJoseph, Alan Rigoletto, and Geoff Summers—will present a musical interpretation of Kandinsky's iconic 1926 painting, Several Circles, that will explore the work's cosmic nature through sound. The score  will utilize the position, color, and size of the circles to create an aural landscape reminiscent of the "music of the spheres." Throughout, musicians will have some liberty to "traverse the circles" and respond to each other improvisationally within set guidelines. The goal is to give listeners a multisensory experience that will help them further understand synesthesia and the relationship between art and music.

This performance is organized in conjunction with the exhibition "Several Circles," curated by Marco Antonini. For more information, please click here. The performance will begin at 7pm with a brief reception to follow.