Thursday we had a creative meeting for our upcoming synesthesia-inspired music and art installation, Mysterium Novum.

Paul said, "Anne, are you telling me how to compose?"

Isabel and Sugar mostly took Instagrams and Snapchats. They were bestowed with the important task, however, of choosing the pastries. They also ate most of them.

Joel talked about his pretty flowers. They will respond to touch. Jeanette thought of ways to make them even prettier.

Beau brought a costume prototype, made of organza. ORGANZA EXTRAVAGANZA COMING TO MYSTERIUM NOVUM!

We walked through Anne's ribbons and it was magical.

Isabel's snazzy new necklace from Brazil

The #1 reason to collaborate with us: there will always be pastries from DAK at meetings

Lighting designer Jeanette Yew and composer/new media artist Joel Mellin bossing us around (JK!)

Anne giving us the scoop on her plan for MN

Yesterday we had our first Mysterium Novum team meeting of 2016. Mysterium Novum is a project we've been working on since 2014. Our clarinetist, Isabel Kim, has been intrigued with synesthesia for quite some time and came up with this concept after discovering composer Alexander Scriabin’s unrealized piece Mysterium. It was to be an elaborate week-long synesthetic performance/experience combining music, dance, visual art, light projections, and scent. Using Scriabin’s project as a point of inspiration, we’ll be creating our own version of it, with music by composer Paul Haas, an installation by Anne Patterson, scent by Atelier de Geste, and interactive tech by Joel Mellin. And we’ll be performing, of course!

We started with our walk-through at White Box on the Lower East Side, where we asked a million questions about power sources, sound, chairs, and where the bathroom was because some of us needed to go. After getting a sense of the space we were all inspired and still had so many more ideas to explore, so Anne suggested we sit down and grab lunch. Isabel (an all-knowing maven of what’s cool) walked us over to Café Henrie. This place is “just fucking delightful and an Instagrammer’s paradise” according to Sugar. Well, she’s not wrong. We’d also like to add that the food was healthy and really delicious.

Mysterium Novum is one of the most challenging projects we’ve had to produce thus far. The biggest thing before this was Potential Energies, which presented its own set of challenges (primarily getting ten musicians and dancers in a room, and working in a long process with a large group of people). Funding is always a challenge, but with Mysterium Novum the major hurdle, to our surprise, was securing a presenter. It was surprising because we had funding secured, and a couple of them spoke to us over the course of several months, even talking possible dates, with the answer concluding in a “no.”

So in true NCP-style we’re making it happen ourselves. It’s going to take place in June so stay tuned for our announcement in the coming months. You might hear trumpets. Or hear trumpets and see blue at the same time! In the meantime, scroll for more photos and stay updated by signing up for our newsletter.

*Beau Rhee of Atelier de Geste, Kina Park, Anne Patterson, Paul Haas, Isabel Kim, & Sugar Vendil*

Parataxis & Pictures: MN Creative Meeting

A musician, artist, composer, and scent artist walk into a bar...