Laura Belém’s ‘Temple of a Thousand Bells’ is one of the many works in the Liverpool Biennial – International Festival of Contemporary Art.
This work, in the Oratory of Liverpool Cathedral, is described as an installation with sound, glass bells, nylon string. 5.1 sound system, lighting. The audio presentation is 8 minutes long and the music is by Fernando Rocha.
The work is a free adaptation of an ancient legend, the story of an island temple whose most remarkable and distinctive feature was its endowment of a thousand bells. Allegedly the sound of these bells could be heard by travellers crossing the sea, even at great distances.
Over the centuries the island sank into the ocean but a sailor continues a quest to hear the sound of the bells.
Oh! I like this! Are there really 1.000 bells? Did you count them?
ReplyDeleteThe story reminds me of the legend of "The Bells of Vineta". In case you are not familiar with it: Once upon a time (to be more precise, in the 1300s), there was an immensely rich town on the coast of the Baltic Sea, Vineta. Its inhabitants were not only rich but also greedy and immoral (according to what was supposed to be immoral back then).
As they were impenitent in spite of the warnings from pure-hearted people, their town was submerged in a flood and the inhabitants perished.
Legend has it that to this day, if wind, waves and time are right, the bells of Vineta can still be dimly heard from down below, as a warning to all those who lead greedy, immoral lives.
Uplifting, isn't it?