A founding member of American rock band The Dandy Warhols will bring a very different kind of musical experience to MONA this November, with an interactive installation designed to make visitors stop, listen and be present.
Zia McCabe will unveil SEE HEAR NOW at the Museum of Old and New Art on November 26, transforming a mid-century-inspired lounge into an ambient musical environment that responds to visitors as they move through the space.
Touching different artworks will turn them into instruments, creating overlapping soundscapes that change depending on how visitors interact with the room.
McCabe composed the installation’s non-linear sonata with Tamil Rogeon and Louise Woodward, the duo behind The Dandy Warhols’ symphonic arrangements.
The music combines McCabe’s analogue psychedelic synthesiser with classical instrumentation performed by Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra musicians.
The recordings were made and mixed at Mona’s Frying Pan Studios by head producer and engineer Chris Townend.
The lounge’s artworks were designed by McCabe alongside visual artists Buckley, James Lambert, Madeleine Stamer and Chaz Barrisson of The London Police.
McCabe said the idea was inspired by a desire to create a space where people could escape the constant flow of information and give “their nervous systems a break”.
“More psychedelic than opiate, more retro than modern, more harmony than discord,” she said.
The exhibition comes as The Dandy Warhols prepare to return to Tasmania, with the band launching its Australian tour at Hobart’s Odeon on November 24, two days before SEE HEAR NOW opens.
Formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1994, The Dandy Warhols are best known for songs including Bohemian Like You, Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth and We Used to Be Friends.
McCabe has been the band’s keyboardist and bassist since its formation.
SEE HEAR NOW opens at Mona on November 26 and will run as part of the museum’s exhibition program.
