Avant Joik / Jaon La Barbara
Experimental Nordic artists Avant Joik make their 2024 U.S. debut at ISSUE Project Room. Blending traditional joik language and vocal experimentation using electronic soundscapes, Indigenous Sámi singer Katarina Barruk (vocals/joik) and acclaimed experimentalist Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje (vocals and live electronics) perform with live visuals by Sámi artist Matti Aikio. Renowned vocalist and composer Joan La Barbara will open the evening with Space Testing Re: … / Performance Piece / Erin, a series of vocal explorations that will activate the space at Brooklyn Music School in Fort Greene.
Avant Joik’s premiere performances in the U.S. are coordinated in partnership with the Finnish, Norwegian & Swedish Consulates plus members of the Nordic Community. During their engagement, their work will be featured in a series of outreach events plus an additional performance at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MN.
ISSUE Project Room and Brooklyn Music School are partnering throughout 2024, having committed to sharing resources in support of the creation, presentation of, and engagement with experimental performance practices.