Exploring the attractions during the opening of new festival Art, Talks and Sensations in Manarat Al Saadiyat, we were intrigued to enter a dark room with low chairs, sand on the ground and relaxing music emanating from the centre of a stage. We proceeded to listen to an hour of experimental music, specifically dubbed as ‘Sonic Meditation’ (stop sniggering at the back), which was both pleasant and relaxing. At the end of the session, we followed the artist, Frédéric Nogray and spoke to him about his intriguing performance. Frédéric has been performing for seven years and has played in venues in France and some parts of the Middle East.
The only instruments used during the recital were a little rubber stick and several industrial quartz bowls of different sizes. The bowls are empty and when they are tapped by the rubber stick, they make a sound akin to a hollow bell. Depending on the size of the bowl, as well as where it is tapped, the sound differs. The one hour session consists of different musical notes, reverberating around the dark room while focusing your attention. The calming effect is sensational, helping you achieve an almost dreamlike state while awake and aware. It’s almost like being in a lucid dream.
‘The story of how I discovered the bowls is an interesting one,’ Frédéric tells us. He was at a computer convention, walking around with his backpack on his back. He passed a stand which had these industrial bowls displayed. These crystal bowls are originally meant for making silicone parts for computer chips. As he was passing the display, he turned around and the back of his backpack touched one of the bowls. ‘That was when I heard the sound, and I knew it would be interesting to use these bowls to make music.’
He immediately went about purchasing the bowls and trying to manipulate them to make music. ‘After many trials, I found the only thing that worked was the rubber stick. All the other materials make the sounds either too sharp or too dull. Some of the other materials that Frédéric had tried using to manipulate sound included wood and various plastic materials.
‘I originally started doing these shows to accompany yoga and meditation courses. The idea was that the vibrations from the bowls work with your body and brain waves, helping you achieve a perfect sense of inner calm.’ Frédéric goes on to tell us that the vibrations of the quartz in the bowls is meant to resonate with quartz atoms in your system and that is the reason why the sessions are so effective in helping you find inner peace. Soon after, different people started approaching him to perform at various venues. While his shows are always improvisational, he does also sell some CDs at some of his performances.
Performance art is equally loved and loathed. Starting in the 1960s, the movement embraced the idea of one-off shows that could never be repeated. Some people define performance art as the antithesis to theatre, because it does exactly the opposite by not rehearsing or using the same elements twice. This is one of the aspects that Frédéric really enjoys about his performances, ‘The energy in the room is never the same, the crowd is never the same and certainly the music is never the same’. Performance art can include many types of artistic expression, such as singing, dancing, poetry recital and live panting.
When we ask about how he defines himself and what type of music he makes, Frédéric responds, ‘I know my work falls within the confines of performance art and some people have different names
for my music, but for me it falls outside of space and time. It’s all about the relationship with yourself, and I care that people achieve that rather than worry about what category the music fits into.’
Frédéric Nogray will be performing at Manarat Al Saadiyat on Friday December 14 from 5.30pm-7pm, and again on Saturday December 15 from 5.30pm-7pm. Manarat Al Saadiyat (02 657 5800).
