Concierto de Motosierra 1977

Studio Orta - 0000
Studio Orta - 0000
Studio Orta - 0000
Studio Orta - 0000
Studio Orta - 0000
Studio Orta - 0000
Studio Orta - 0000

Date: 1977 - 2014
Materials: 3 railway sleepers, graphic score, 3 chainsaws, violin, cello and bass
Dimensions: Various dimensions. Duration 12mins
Exhibition history: 2014 Le Portique, Le Havre, France
Courtesy: Lucy + Jorge Orta

Railway sleepers are called durmientes in Spanish, quite literally sleeping bodies. The railway sleepers in this performance were imported from Argentina, where they are made with Quebracho Colorado, an extremely durable wood from the northern province. The concert-performance for sleepers, chainsaws and string instuments was composed by Jorge Orta while living through the military junta in Argentina (1973-1984) and was performed live, for the first time, at Le Portique contemporary art centre in Le Havre, France in 2014.