2021
THE LONG PARADE BY ARI BENJAMIN MEYERS
A photographical survey of ten musical parades walking the entire Belgian coast from the French-Belgian border in De Panne to the Belgian-Dutch border of Knokke
Summer 2021
In a line, someone whispers a message into the next person's ear. He or she whispers it to the next person, until the end is reached. The last player announces the final communication, usually a message that causes hilarity (or confusion) since it is thoroughly distorted due to a series of misunderstandings in the chain. This play - in the U.S. called “Telephone” and in the U.K. "Chinese Whispers" - inspired artist and composer Ari Benjamin Meyers to conceive of a music-based durational performance that will be realized in collaboration with famed Flemish fanfare combo Die Verdammte Spielerei and local music groups from each of the ten municipalities along the Belgian coast.
Die Verdammte Spielerei will guide Meyers' original composition, walking the entire coast from the French-Belgian border in De Panne to the Belgian-Dutch border of Knokke over ten musical parades spread throughout the summer of 2021. They will be accompanied each time by a local group of musicians that have made their own adaptations of the piece. At each “border” there is an exchange between groups, an open rehearsal, and the new piece is played together in a parade from their own city hall, carrying the new work to the city hall of the next municipality where it will undergo its further mutation. This performance will repeat itself ten times, until the work reaches its finale on the Dutch border in Knokke-Heist.
Documenting the parades was a challenging work whereby I had to keep in mind all the ceremonial actions of the project. 10 parades in 10 cities. A survey of the whole, drawing attention to the core of the project. I am left with far more than 100 pictures showing the Belgian coast, the horizon, the sea and the marching harmonie...
Beaufort 21
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
At the French border with Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From the French Border to De Panne with Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From the French border to Koksijde with teachers and students of the music academy StAPwest and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Koksijde to Nieuwpoort with Showkorps El Fuerte, Imperior De Percussion and Koninklijke Gemeentelijke Harmonie Koksijde and the Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Koksijde to Nieuwpoort with Showkorps El Fuerte, Imperior De Percussion and Koninklijke Gemeentelijke Harmonie Koksijde and the Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Koksijde to Nieuwpoort with Showkorps El Fuerte, Imperior De Percussion and Koninklijke Gemeentelijke Harmonie Koksijde and the Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Nieuwpoort to Middelkerke with the Koninklijke Katholieke Harmonie Nieuwpoort and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Nieuwpoort to Middelkerke with the Koninklijke Katholieke Harmonie Nieuwpoort and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Middelkerke to Oostende with the Drawing Pins and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Middelkerke to Oostende with the Drawing Pins and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Oostende to Bredene with the Melody Makers Oostende and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Oostende to Bredene with the Melody Makers Oostende and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Bredene to De Haan with Bredens accordion company and saxophonists and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From De Haan to Blankenberge with the Saxophone Quartet Beaufort and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Blankenberge to Zeebrugge with the Folk Academie Blankenberge and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Blankenberge to Zeebrugge with the Folk Academie Blankenberge and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Blankenberge to Zeebrugge with the Folk Academie Blankenberge and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Blankenberge to Zeebrugge with the Folk Academie Blankenberge and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Zeebrugge to Knokke with the Koninklijke Harmonie Vermaak na Arbeid Koolkerke and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Zeebrugge to Knokke with the Koninklijke Harmonie Vermaak na Arbeid Koolkerke and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Zeebrugge to Knokke with the Koninklijke Harmonie Vermaak na Arbeid Koolkerke and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Knokke to the Dutch Border with the Koninklijke Harmonie Sint-Cecilia Heist and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
From Knokke to the Dutch Border with the Koninklijke Harmonie Sint-Cecilia Heist and Die Verdammte Spielerei
Beaufort 2021: The Long Parade by Ari Benjamin Meyers
At the Dutch Border with Die Verdammte Spielerei