It is not often that a concert programme transcends the boundaries of musicology so radically that sound itself becomes a physical, almost architectural reality. Anyone familiar with the legacy of conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner (1942–2021) knows that language for him was not merely a means of communication, but a plastic material – a sculpture of meaning. That the Ghent Herbert Foundation presents on Sunday 31 May the very first live performance of his historical LP 7 from 1972, may therefore be called a historical and artistic first. In the shadow of the ongoing exhibition RED AND GREEN AND BLUE MORE OR LESS, this promises to be an afternoon in which language and sound seek each other out in a profound intellectual movement.
The skeleton of the scale
When Weiner released his first LP through Yvon Lambert gallery in 1972, he deliberately sought the transformative power of audio. 7 is strict and at the same time infinitely freely constructed around the seven fundamental notes of our Western scale, from C to B. The work functions as a meticulous linguistic and musical exploration: each note is gradually explored in its different registers – high, middle, low – and in its harmonic shifts via sharps and flats.
The structure that Weiner dictates with this is not a rigid score, but a skeleton. Language generates the trajectory; the punctuation and the specific sentence structure determine the rhythm with which the space is played. It is an aesthetic that remains completely free from mannerism or cheap effect. Everything revolves around the pure essence of the relationship between voice and instrument.
A parallel dialogue in sound and diction
[caption id="attachment_55825" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Nicolas Di Costanzo[/caption]
The live performance in Ghent promises to be a fascinating exercise in contrasts and acoustic resonance. Weiner's conceptual texts are first recited in English by David Chan, after which Marieke Van Acker takes on the French translation. It is precisely in that succession that the poetry lies: the inherent differences in sentence structure, diction and linguistic properties between English and French force subtle sound shifts.
Flutist Sara Di Constanzo responds to these linguistic impulses. Her instrument is tasked not merely to accompany, but to enter into direct, parallel dialogue with the spoken word. Where the voice stops, the flute reaches for transcendence; where language limits, sound opens up the space. It promises to be a performance in which the musicians and speakers must meticulously build up the tension, balancing between the rigor of the concept and the absolute musical freedom of the moment.
Introspection and encounter
What gives this afternoon extra significance is the organic embedding within the walls of the Herbert Foundation. The friendship and radical dedication that collectors Annick and Anton Herbert once shared with Weiner still feels tangibly present in this Ghent warehouse. After the concert and a subsequent discussion with the performers by director Laura Hanssens, the audience is invited to visit the exhibition. Sound, space and silence flow seamlessly into one another. A rare moment of serenity and artistic intensity that the listener will undoubtedly retain not as a chance event, but as a profound intellectual experience.
Practical:
- What: Concert Lawrence Weiner, 7
- When: Sunday 31 May 2026, doors open from 13:30, start at 14:00
- Where: Herbert Foundation (Loods), Raas van Gaverestraat 106, Gent
- More info and tickets: https://herbert-foundation.weticket.io/concert-lawrence-weiner-7