Ina Blom
Andrew Lampert
Lasse Marhaug
Tony Conrad, who died in April 2016 aged 76, was America’s great lost minimalist. A violinist and improvisor, he was a member of Terry Riley and La Monte Young’s Theatre of Eternal Music in mid-60s New York, as well as composing his own drone music and making experimental ‘structural films’ including The Flicker (1966). At the end of the 1960s he began following his unique individual path, collaborating with German underground band Faust and later working at the Centre for Media Studies at the University of Buffalo. He continued to work with film and video and to compose music, which began to trickle out on CD from the mid-1990s. As a sound artist he exhibited work at the Whitney Museum, MoMA, PS1, the Louvre and elsewhere.
Taking part will be Andrew Lampert, archivist and curator at the Anthology Film Archives in New York, who was a friend of Conrad. Norwegian noise musician Lasse Marhaug collaborated with him and will speak about his music and personality as well as screening a short documentary of Conrad’s visit to Oslo in 2012. Professor Ina Blom, from the contemporary art department of the University of Oslo, and author of The Autobiography of Video: The Life and Times of a Memory Technology (2016), will discuss his experimental film.
In association with Oslo’s ANX gallery, which is mounting an exhibition and performance series, Ultima Academy pays tribute to Tony Conrad and the full spectrum of his activities, as an artist, musician, educator and inspirational figure for many younger artists.
Tony Conrad Tribute at Atelier Nord ANX
Atelier Nord present a series of concerts honouring artist, musician, filmmaker and experimentalist Tony Conrad (1940-2016).
7 September: C. Spencer Yeh One Hour for Tony (with Violin and Voice)
10 September: Lasse Marhaug & Jon Wesseltoft Outside of Mount Meru
12 September: Kari Rønnekleiv and friends
14 September: Andrew Lampert and Greg Pope Perfect Makes Practice
All concerts start at 19. Free entrance, at Atelier Nord ANX, Olaf Ryes plass 2.
More info: ateliernord.no
The brand new documentary Tony Conrad: Completely in the Present, directed by Tyler Hubby, will be shown every day at 5PM at Atelier Nord ANX during Ultima.
In collaboration with Atelier Nord, PNEK and Norwegian Society of Composers.
Ultima Academy is a series of talks, lectures and panel discussions and is free and open to anyone interested in knowing more about the ideas that underlie this year's festival programme.
