En lydkveld på museet [An Evening of Sound at the Museum]

Afrorack, Rolf-Erik Nystrøm, Christian Wallumrød, Tim Cooper & Hilde Marie Holsen

Sunday 14 September, at 17:00–20:00

130–300 kr

35 % off with ultiMATE

From DIY beats to the saxophone’s death song, this evening at the museum celebrates the diversity that propels music forward.

The Vigeland Museum opens its doors for a night where new sonic landscapes meet the silent power of sculpture. From the museum’s inner rooms to its open-air courtyard, four distinct artistic voices explore the relationship between humans, sound, technology, and space. The evening transitions from acid house and African rhythms to feedback, improvisation, and architectural resonance—a journey through the boundless topography of sound.

Afrorack

The evening begins under open skies in the museum courtyard with Afrorack—a Kampala-based musician and synth builder who creates his own modular systems tailored to African rhythms. Afrorack (aka Brian Bamanya) fuses DIY synths with traditional instruments such as the kalimba, also known locally as the Akogo, building layered structures through live looping. The result is a pulsating mix of acid house, techno, and polyrhythmic streams.

Christian Wallumrød Solo

Christian Wallumrød follows with a solo piano programme. With roots in jazz and improvisation, and a long career as a performer, composer, and ECM Records collaborator, Wallumrød is known for his finely tuned and attentive expression. Subtle gestures have a large impact in this poetic music, where intimate piano tones embrace the vast acoustics of the museum’s hall.

Hilde Marie Holsen & Tim Cooper: This Tangle is the Texture of the World (world premiere)

In this new work commissioned by Northern Connection, Holsen and Cooper explore the boundaries between acoustic and electronic sound. Holsen’s extended trumpet tone and Cooper’s electronic processing intertwine in a sonic texture shaped by improvisation and close interaction. The piece is inspired by anthropologist Tim Ingold’s idea of the world as a meshwork of connections—a texture of encounters, movement, and resonance.

Rolf-Erik Nystrøm: Eer (world premiere)

In the Monolith Hall, Rolf-Erik Nystrøm performs a new work inspired by rituals of death and the soul’s journey—from Zoroastrian ceremonies to Xenakis and Platonic myth. Playing baritone, sopranino, and alto saxophones, he moves through the space and interacts with the audience, surrounded by rich acoustic contrasts and Boya Bøckman’s lighting design.

Programme

17.00 – 17.45 Borggård / Ute

Afrorack

18.00 – 18.30 Fontenesalen / VIII

Christian Wallumrød Solo

18.30 – 18.50 Sal V

Hilde Marie Holsen & Tim Cooper: This Tangle is the Texture of the World (world premiere)

19.10 – 20.00 Monolittsalen / X

Rolf-Erik Nystrøm: Eer (world premiere)

Facts

Four concerts with diverse artistic expressions unfold across the museum’s galleries and courtyard. A bar and food truck will be available.
The Vigeland Museum, housed in Gustav Vigeland’s former studio and residence, is one of Norway’s finest examples of neoclassical architecture. The museum holds a collection of the artist’s sculptures, drawings, and woodcuts, offering a unique insight into his life and work.
A fallen soldier returns from the afterlife to describe how souls are judged, rewarded or punished, and reborn after drinking from the River of Forgetfulness. The myth of Er concludes Plato’s Republic and inspires Rolf-Erik Nystrøm’s new work Eer.