As part of the Festival d’Automne

In 1922, the German painter, sculptor, and poet Kurt Schwitters began work on his Ursonate ("primordial sonata"). A creator of noise-based works, Schwitters used the sounds of the alphabet and breath to deliver a performance that played with the conventions of language. A century later, the Danish artist Simon Steen-Andersen blends performance, video, and electronics in his own UR!. Drawing on the contributions of the Ursonate, its sound material, its deconstruction of meaning, and its choice and distortion of diverse materials, UR! examines the essence of origin in the age of artificial intelligence and its still-unprecedented logic.

Simon Steen-Andersen UR! - 2026 Premiere
Stage and video performance inspired by Kurt Schwitters's Ursonate, in collaboration with Michael Schmid.
Commissioned by Ictus, SWR Donaueschinger Musiktage, and the Festival d'Automne à Paris, with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Production Ictus Ensemble. Coproduction Festival d’Automne à Paris, Hellerau – European Center of the Arts, Festival 20-21, De Bijloke Muziekcentrum, Frequenz Festival, Perpodium. With the support of The Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Gouvernment. Coproduction IRCAM-Centre Pompidou, Festival d’Automne à Paris.