New Commission Transforms Barbara Hepworth’s Sculptures into Musical Works

Dewsbury-based arts organisation Manasamitra has been commissioned by The Hepworth Wakefield to create a new audio work inspired by its Barbara Hepworth: Art & Life exhibition, which will be performed in the gallery on Saturday 19 February.

Mapping the Music will be a sonic exploration of Barbara Hepworth’s sculptural work. The artworks will be 3D-mapped and translated into music. And in doing so, a multi-sensory experience of Hepworth’s work will be created.

Creator and musician Supriya Nagarajan will be working with a number of people on the piece’s development. Sound artist, Duncan Chapman, and Lucy Nolan and Becki Luff of musical duo Chroma Harp. Percussionist Delia Stevens is also involved.

“A really exciting project”

Supriya said: “This is a really exciting project. And we are delighted to be working with The Hepworth Wakefield to bring Barbara Hepworth’s sculptures to life through music. Working closely with Lucy and Becki has enabled us to channel the criss-cross string designs within Hepworth’s work through the similar lines and textures of the harp to truly capture Hepworth’s eye through sound.”

Barbara Hepworth’s own physical journeys through industrial Wakefield to the rocky landscapes of Cornwall will be mapped in music. And it’ll capture the very paths that she walked into an audio-visual journey.

“Art is multi-sensory and can be experienced in many different ways,” continued Supriya. “Channelling my personal experiences with synaesthesia, I am really looking forward to taking people on a sonic journey to view Hepworth’s work through a fresh and diverse lens.”

Nicola Freeman, is the Director of Engagement and Learning at The Hepworth Wakefield. She added: “To celebrate Hepworth’s legacy as a source of ongoing inspiration, we have hosted a range of creative responses to Hepworth’s work over the course of the exhibition. Mapping the Music will take place in the final weeks of the show and really demonstrates how music, art and technology can come together to create something truly innovative.

The performance will take place at 2pm on Saturday 19 February. To find out more and book tickets, please visit: www.hepworthwakefield.org