London, 2025

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Korf ar son, meaning body of sound in Breton language, is a sound based art project started in 2019, connecting piano improvisations from Nebel Lang to their graphic transcriptions by Sylvain Levier. This project is the two artists’ attempt at bringing artistic languages and mediums into dialogue and translating what is heard with what is seen, sound and sight. “Rippen” is the sixth work of the Korf ar son project, and was recorded in Kiel in February 2021.

 

The piano improvisations of Lang are the first step in the creative process of Korf ar Son, and are recorded while tuning pianos through Europe. There is of course a strong emphasis on the spontaneity of the pieces and their uniqueness as a moment caught in time, connected to its location and the context around it. In the words of the artist, tuning a piano requires diving into the guts of the instrument; listening to its breathing and bringing its visibility is at the origin of the visual works. And it is quite right, with “Rippen”one can hear the instrument breathing, through silence and sound there is an organic quality to the improvisation of Lang. Each piece of Korf ar son is first the memory of a moment, and then a visual work. Each of Lang’s improvisations is recorded on different pianos, in different places around Europe and always during the tuning process of the instrument which creates a unique context for the improvisation to exist. “Rippen” is sparse, delicate and reflects the atmosphere one could expect from Kiel.

The series of drawings by Levier, entitled Body of Sound are created in response to the music; the focus is on representing the notion of time with sound, the rhythm, the notes and the silences as well as the resonance of the instrument. Levier creates a structure based on the materialisation of a timeline representing an extract (of approximately one minute) of the improvisation. Levier’s goal is to give form to something that does not have one. This creates a graphic time based signature of the improvisation, and in a way, an alternative way to mark the spontaneous in stone, one would say. Each drawing then takes the form of numbered art prints.The work is of a hybrid nature, and to experience it correctly, one cannot detach the music from the drawing. It is in fact, fascinating to immerse oneself into both the listening of music and the viewing of the drawing simultaneously as it seems that both works reveal themselves and evolve as they are experienced. One seems to understand better not only their connection, but their own identity as they are absorbed with this duality in mind. 

 

“Rippen”, and the entire Korf ar son series and projects, is truly unique not only in its approach, and the particular details which make each step of the process original, but also in the resulting work, a multi-medium project where sight and sound are interconnected, and must not be separated in order to fully understand the extent of the artistic intentions. A entirely virtual project in its approach, both artists working remotely from each other, Korf ar son is also a testament of how technology, when used appropriately can lead to captivating art and surprising encounters.