CODE hosted an immersive concert experience

We asked Andor Sanderson and Makró VJ members Anikó Skribek and Dávid Kara about the special concert that took place on May 16 at Hexagon as part of Planet Lens International Nature Photography and Film Festival.

What kind of inspiration did you work with when you created this unique audiovisual journey?

Andor Sanderson: The constant change in nature around us affects many people, makes them think, and compels them to act. It was important to me to express this through plants, small pieces of nature, and the organic sound of the piano. The digital space and electronic instruments took this whole train of thought into a new dimension. Today's generation already combines digital thinking with nature around us, and are much more adept at exploiting new opportunities, opening up completely new doors. The harmony between the music and the images of nature invited the audience on a kind of inner journey.

Makró VJ: In our live projections, our primary source of inspiration has always been the forms of nature or our immediate surroundings during the performance. Now we have come up with a more personal theme, with a concept that we brought with us from our new home, we brought with us living plants collected from the Danube Bend. The musical atmosphere created by Andor Sanderson is in perfect harmony with the mood we strive to create in our improvisations.

What kind of emotional or mental state did you want to put your visitors in?

AS: After the concert, several people told me that we had created a calm and deeply emotional space together at that moment, right there and then. It is an intimate, inner experience, because I think that the waves of music, in such an intense and enveloping atmosphere,opens up deep thoughts that we bring with us on our journey. I also had a lot of thoughts during the concert, there were moments of letting go and understanding. There is no specific state that I would like to convey, we simply need to be there together and experience the moments, the inner awareness. I increasingly feel that today we want to give ourselves time for slow to understand our inner pulse, to take a deep breath.

M: As people living in the modern world, we have become so accustomed to the abundance of stimuli surrounding us that slowness, stillness, and silence often feel alien. Prolonged moments can seem boring and even irritating. However, when we encounter something unusual on a familiar surface, such as a huge projector (in this case, on channel 6), we are startled by the constant stream of stimuli. Our intentions are sincere and we do not want anything else than to remind ourselves that the world continues to function and create even when we are not in control of it. We are both miniature in relation to the whole and giants in relation to the details. The fact that the audience is present during such a performance and allows itself to experience this moment is already an amazingly positive response for us. After the last concert, the audience's curiosity drew them from the beanbags to the macro lens, guessing what might have happened in the past hour. This childlike curiosity is what motivates us more than anything else.

Were there any technical challenges you had to pay attention to when working on the music/visual material?

AS: Hexagon is an incredibly exciting space, full of opportunities to compromise in my music, which I experienced in a positive sense, of course. We opened up in a completely different direction with Péter Halász, the event technician, and I easily and happily changed my musical approach, and transformed the soundscapes with ease and joy. It was a wonderful feeling. Since then, I have been wondering what else I can put together in this space. The members of Makr Vj also arrived at the event with a completely new camera system, giving us a much more detailed and closer experience of the microscopic world of nature. I often felt that I could touch the plants as the sounds washed over me. We have worked together many times before, but this experience was completely unique and a moment that challenged our senses.
M: That's a great question, because the venue for this performance, the CODE Hexagon space, required a technical upgrade that had been under consideration for some time.
The huge projection surfaces demand flawless quality, and we wanted to meet that demand. Operating with macro lenses is always challenging, as at this size, every vibration,  and movement, no matter how small in reality, can be distracting on the big screen. This is precisely why the performance requires a lot of preliminary practice and, on stage, great attention, dexterity, and concentration from our duo.

How did you feel at CODE?

AS: As soon as I entered the room, I felt a completely different vibration. The sight of the piano and the many people in this space created a very beautiful vibration. I came prepared with a partially pre-planned program, but in the middle of the concert, I turned to a truly improvizational part, because the space and the wonderful images gave me this feeling. It was a great feeling to immerse myself in the sound of the piano, just letting the notes flow and the thoughts build up inside me. A few weeks ago, I released a new song called ' Patterns of Life', which is now an important link to my inner balance. It was a beautiful experience to perform this song for the audience in this space, and I am grateful for these moments.

M: From the preparation for the program to the documentation of the event, we were extremely satisfied with the CODE team. It was an honor for us to be the co-creators of the first live music audiovisual concert, and we hope that we will have another opportunity to perform here.

Számodra/Számotokra mitől különleges a CODE, a Hexagon tere?

AS: As a creative artist, I find it an endlessly exciting place with endless possibilities, both in terms of the layout of the room and the technical solutions. I have spent a lot of time in the Hexagon space over the past few days, and I have been constantly inspired by the possibilities for creative and unique events that could take place at CODE in the future, such as theater, dance, interactive performances, or special concerts. During the concert, I thought about how beautiful it was to see the audience sitting in a circle, playing a completely different experience, much closer. It will be exciting to see what creative ideas the various artists will come up with for Hexagon Digital Immersive.creative ideas they will fill the Hexagon digital immersive space with and how they will take advantage of the unique opportunities it offers.

M: As Makró VJ Duo, we have been screening the most diverse theater, cinema, concert, and festival venues. The Hexagon's technological equipment and design make it the most modern space we have ever been able to create art in. The surrounding visuals and sound allow the viewer to look around with complete immersion in the atmosphere created by the artists. It is good to see that more and more such institutions are becoming available in Hungary, providing a high-quality venue for contemporary media artists.