Gustave Moreau’s 1874/6 painting L’Apparition depicts the character of Salome, long considered a lascivious, wanton woman. In this new audiovisual work, musician Ela Orleans collages hundreds of preparatory images made by Moreau along with historical texts and glimpses of literary, artistic and dance works, sampling and remixing them into what she calls a ‘composed novel’, both celebrating and deconstructing Moreau’s work and historical narratives around Salome. The sonic accompaniment likewise distorts and transforms classical works, including Richard Strauss’s opera Salomé.
Read the Financial Times review of Ela’s performance of L’Apparition at Sonica Glasgow 2022 here!