First Night '96 Sound, Video and Dance Installation:
A Collaboration by Four International Artists

1pm-midnight, Sunday, January 31, 1995, 110 Broadway, Tacoma, Free

A site-specific installaton by four internationally known artists including Petra Dubach and Mario van Horrik of Holland; David Means of Minneapolis, and; Dan Senn of Tacoma. The installation will open at 1pm with on-going video and sound, with numerous demonstrations and performances punctuating the 11 hour installation.

The main theme of Petra Dubach's work is movement but in the broadest sense possible. At different times it has involved standing perfectly still, or the growth of hair, or the shifting of great masses of people with no purpose other than the movement itself. Her work has embraced the concept of silhouette and extreme action (such as screaming). Acceptable movement may be caused by wind, draught, machines, or whatever. Petra has performed world-wide with the de Sprong group, as a solo dancer, and most recently in collaboration with Mario van Horrik.

Mario van Horrik writes, "I am a sound artist, I make sound installations, sound performances, objects, and I give concerts... I combine elements of sound, image and movement in all my work... feedback in all its forms occurs frequently within my work." Mario is also a composer and performer with a long history in theatre, dance, and with groups such as the Maciunas Ensemble and Antarctica. His music has appeared on several CDs and has been broadcast world-wide. A 1995 residency brought him and his wife Petra Dubach to New York City for a three month residency at Harvestworks.

The work of David Means encompasses polka music, contemporary classical music, graphic music, dance, video, and live performances on computer music instruments. A Professor of Media at Metropolitan State University in the Twin Cities, Means began his studies in architecture but shifted to music after an epiphany involving Christo's wrapped Australian coastline in 1969. In recent years he has focused on live performances, and outdoor installations in parks, on airport runways, and along city river ways. David has received numerous awards for his work which has been featured at Documenta in Germany, New Music America, and at the Xi'An Conservatory of Music in China.

Interdisciplinary artist Dan Senn builds sculptural instruments which he exhibits and performs, constructs clusters of videos from unedited mappings of objects and territories, does sound and video installations in remote caves and rain forests, and composes music for traditional instruments using his own "thinking" software. He also curates and produces events under the auspices of Newsense Intermedium, a Tacoma-based presenting organization which he founded and directs. Senn frequently tours internationally with his music and art and recently returned from a 3 month McKnight Foundation residency for the state of Minnesota.

Flights for Petra Dubach and Mario van Horrik were sponsored by the Dutch Minisitry of Cultural Affairs.

Information: First Night '96, Pierce County Arts Commission, tel 253 591 7205 fax 253 596 6604