Booklaunch Publication: Meredith Monk: Calling

Meredith Monk (1942) is a composer, performer, director, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer, renowned for merging music, theatre, and dance into a new, creative idiom that explores the human voice as an instrument. Her influence spans generations of musicians and artists, from Bruce Nauman and Terry Riley to Björk and John Zorn. Meredith Monk: Calling is the first comprehensive overview of this interdisciplinary pioneer, whose six-decade body of work combines music, movement, and visual art. The catalogue documents her exhibitions and honours Monk’s enduring influence and creative power. Her works operate at the intersection of music and movement, image and object, light and sound, weaving these elements into new forms of perception.

From 21 October 2023 to 14 April 2024, the Oude Kerk and Hartwig Art Foundation present Calling, the first major European exhibition of Meredith Monk in the context of visual art. Curated by Beatrix Ruf, Monk’s live performances and concerts have been reimagined as immersive video and sound installations within the 700-year-old church. Monk has transformed the space into a “singing body,” immersing visitors in an experience specially created for the Oude Kerk.