Speculum Musurgica

The installation Speculum Musurgica was conceived and realised by the Flemish artist Rudi Knoops. The installation presents two seven-part compositions by the Huelgas Ensemble: the motet Memorare Mater Christi by Matthaeus Pipelare (ca. 1450-1515), which expresses the seven sorrows of the Virgin Mary, and the anonymous elegy Proch Dolor, which was composed on the occasion of the death of Emperor Maximilian (1519). Each of the seven singers can be seen and heard individually in a spatial visualisation. In the centre of the installation, the different sound levels merge into a surround sound and allow for an immersive listening experience. When you approach one of the musicians, the spatiality of the sound layers creates an analytical listening experience. For the moving image, the artist uses the technique of cylindrical anamorphosis, which has been known since the Renaissance: a cylindrical mirror distorts a distorted image.

The Speculum Musurgica installation can be seen at the Suermondt-Ludwig Museum on the occasion of the Belgian EU Council Presidency.

Suermondt-Ludwig Museum Aachen: https://suermondt-ludwig-museum.de/ausstellung/aktuelle-ausstellungen/speculum-musurgica-petrus-alamire/