The 40th edition of hcmf// will host a number of Polish performers among others: the Gęba Vocal Ensemble and the Polish Radio Choir performing pieces authored by Japanese composer Dai Fujikura, Agata Zubel, Wojtek Blecharz and Zbigniew Karkowski as well as Krzysztof Knittel. The audience will also have the opportunity to listen to Bogusław Schaeffer’s compositions performed by Thomas Lehn, Bohdan Mazurek as interpreted by Valerio Tricoli, Nikolet Burzyńska presented by The Riot Ensemble and a performance by Jacek Sienkiewicz, a legend of the Polish clubbing scene, who is known for his experimentation. During the festival, we will also listen to the pieces by James Dillon, Brian Ferneyhough, Lindy Catlin Smith and Pauline Oliveros.
The main theme of the Polish programme at hcmf// 2017 will be the legacy of the 60-year-old Studio Eksperymentalne Polskiego Radia (SEPR; editor’s translation: Polish Radio Experimental Studio). The focal point of this year’s presentation will be an audio-visual exhibition on display starting 17th November 2017 at the Huddersfield Art Gallery, curated by Daniel Muzyczuk from the Muzeum Sztuki w Łodzi) (editor’s translation: Museum of Art in Łódź) and Michał Mendyk from the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of concerts, film screenings and other events. The presentation in Huddersfield will be the beginning of a broader programme dedicated to the phenomenon, which will be part of the international cultural initiative accompanying the centenary of Poland regaining its independence organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute – Niepodległa.
The Niepodległa programme will involve projects in the fields of music, visual arts, theatre, film, design and new media. The programme will focus on the modern interpretations of the cultural heritage of inter-war Poland. The artistic phenomena of the incredibly dynamic and cultural period still inspire artistic communities today.
The legacy of the avant-garde and its contemporary expressions are one of the main themes of the programme developed by the Institute. For this reason, the project on the Polish Radio Experimental Studio, one of the first avant-garde electro-acoustic music hubs in Central and Eastern Europe is one of its cornerstones. It is an interdisciplinary project presenting the Studio through music, art, video games, film and modern dance.