Pierre Bastien Performance Indianapolis, Indiana

Music and mechanics collide! Experimental instrument builder and sound installation artist Pierre Bastien comes to Indianapolis as part of the Spirit & Place Festival () from France for a unique performance that blends live trumpet sounds with screen projections of on-site, mechanical sound sculptures built by Bastien. His work is described as “a timeless sounding orchestra, both futuristic and slightly dada, conjuring ancient traditions in its surprisingly sensuous music.“ Learn more about him Bastien has been called a “mad musical scientist with a celebrity following“ by The Guardian. Collaborating in the past with filmmaker Pierrick Sorin, fashion designer Issey Miyake, singer and composer Robert Wyatt, and Richard D. James, also known as Aphex Twin to name a few, he is one of the most influential experimental musicians working in the field., In 1986 he formed his own self made one man orchestra, Mecanium. He has made 20 albums and is currently on the record label Western Vinyl. The concert is part of a new series Bastien is working on called “Playing With the Dead.“ Presented by The Indianapolis Public Library (), Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art () and Big Car (). Spirit & Place Festival brings together cultural, religious, and community institutions in Central Indiana to create “never-seen-before“ programs—and often “never-seen-again“—which prompt citizens to think and act differently on behalf of their communities. Its mission is to be a catalyst for civic engagement and enduring change through creative collaborations among the arts, humanities, and religion. Special thanks to Andy Fry, Matt Sommers and David Yosha for this video.