They Swim Through Air showcases the exuberance, imagination and artistry of new music creators from Australia and beyond with a program that reflects on the rituals and processes of life.
Inspired by Tolkien’s use of the term ‘sky-fields’ in Lord of the Rings, Gemma Peacocke reflects on the travels of the sun and the power of hope, while Leah Blankendaal’s Beacon explores how memories are retained within the body over a lifetime.
Rubiks’ virtuosic playfulness comes to the fore in Jessie Marino’s The Whale Is a Capital Fish, a celebration of the ritual absurdity and technical mastery exhibited in everyday activities.
The program finishes with the premiere of ‘Sound Fields’, a new commission from Dr Felicity Wilcox, Senior Lecturer at University of Technology Sydney and the winner of Rubiks’ 2021 Pythia Prize. Wilcox’s vivid new work offers sonic interpretations of the lush and emotive imagery by New York expressionist painter, Helen Frankenthaler.