Guide for Grauzone's symposium with guest speakers Thurston Moore, Damo Suzuki, Gemma Thompson and more

During Grauzone 2020 the symposium will offer festival visitors a closer look, a different view, some further imaging or let’s just say, an intimate gathering where ideas on work, the world we live in and anything else moderator John Robb wants to discuss. To help you decide which artists are nice to check out, we’ve made an overview special for you.

This edition John will interview krautrock legend Damo Suzuki and both Savages members performing solo at this year’s festival, Gemma Thompson (Unmoor Kiva) & Ayse Hassan (Esya), but also Johan Tahon who shows artworks at the GRAUKUNST exhibition.

One of our headliners is Thurston Moore and will join us for the whole two day festival experience with a music performance on one day, a symposium the other. For now we focus on the his symposium, during Grauzone we offer festival visitors a closer look, a different view, some further imaging or let’s just say, an intimate gathering where ideas on work, the world we live in and with Thurston Moore it is going to be a spoken word performance. Thurston’s spokenword will take place on Saturday February 8 . Find more info here.

Damo Suzuki, was a prominent member from 1970 – 1973 and is to be heard on legendary records “Tago Mago”, “Future Days” and “Ege Bamyasi”. In 1983 Damo Suzuki returned with his well-known freeform, often improvised in no particular language lyrics only Mark E. Smith could parrot. At the symposium will be interviewed by John Robb and talk about his moments with CAN and his unique vision on improvisation.

Curator Johan Tahon did not become a sculptor. He has always been a sculptor and always will be. His ceramics exhibitions been all over the world. Restless and filled with longing for the inexpressible, Johan Tahon explores the boundaries of the great unknown. For Tahon, ‘searching’ also means breaking out of the cocoon of one’s own discipline over and over again. He is a passionate music and literature lover, and conversely, many writers and musicians have been inspired by his work. These include he all-round American artist Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) and the German singer Till Lindemann (Rammstein). From a young age, Tahon had already discovered that objects lent a lightness to the darkness of existence. This being a perfect match with Grauzone, Tahon put together his own work with artist who create throughout various disciplines. Tahon will be interviewed on Friday Feb 7 at Koorenhuis. Don’t miss his inspiring view on art and music at the symposium and his curated exhibition GRAUKUNST - ARTNROLL.

Figure with Vessel, woodcut by Gemma Thompson. On show at GRAUKUNST - ARTNROLL

Both Gemma Thompson & Ayse Hassan are members of post-punk band Savages. Thomspon is in our opinion one of the most inventive guitarist of her generation, Hassan one of the most rhythmic people you will ever see perform in this lifetime. At Grauzone Gemma Thompson will perform with her new band Unmoor Kiva , plus her artworks (yes she is an artist too!) are on view at GRAUKUNST. Ayse Hassan with her soloproject Esya. Together you can see them at the symposium, while John Robb will make sure that you see much more than what you’ve seen before from them. Find more info here.

We’re also very pleased to invite filmmaker Babeth Van Loo & musician Stephen Mallinder. It sounds like an odd combination, but both have something in common; they both worked together on a film called ‘‘ Chance Versus Causality’’. Cabaret Voltaire made in ’79 a soundtrack which in 2019 finally appeared on Mute Records. What we know in hindsight: The soundtrack was recorded live by the original Cabaret Voltaire line up—Richard H. Kirk, Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson, at the band’s Western Works studio with no prior knowledge of the film. Instructed by the director to take the chance principle as a point of departure. Part of it was played with eyes closed, part of it during (the now legendary) concert at plan K in Brussels where also Joy Division, William Burroughs and Brion Gysin were playing and some is recorded in the studio in England.

Grauzone is now bringing the two key players together hoping to unravel the mystery surrounding these recordings: Cabaret Voltaire singer/bassist Stephen Mallinder and filmmaker Babeth Mondini-VanLoo.
Before the interview you can watch the movie on 16mm here.