Stephen Vitiello's LIGHT READINGS Set for Baryshnikov Arts Center, 12/8-18

Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) presents the New York Premiere of Stephen Vitiello's interactive media installation Light Readings, on view December 8-18, with a live performance at December 9, Tuesday at 7PM at the Baryshnikov Arts Center's Studio 6A. The installation is free; reservations are not required. Performance tickets are $15 and can be purchased at www.bacnyc.org or 866-811-4111.

Electronic musician and media artist Stephen Vitiello transforms atmospheric sounds into mesmerizing compositions, exploring the physical aspect of sound and its potential to define the form and atmosphere of a spatial environment. His art installations have been included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Lyon. In 1999, Vitiello received a World Views residency from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. On the 91st floor of the World Trade Center, as part of a site-specific installation, Vitiello first began using photocells to translate frequencies of light. This is the process central to Vitiello's Light Readings, presented in 2000 as a pre-recorded installation at the Texas Gallery, and then in 2002 as an interactive installation at the Fondation Cartier in Paris. It was recently exhibited as part of Houston's Menil Collection (2012) and the Berkeley Art Museum (2013).

For the installation's New York Premiere, BAC has commissioned Vitiello to customize Light Readings for the BAC's Studio 6A. Small photocell devices arranged around the room translate light frequencies into an ambient soundscape. Shifts in natural light from BAC's expansive studio windows, and shadows of people moving through the space, blend with bursts of urban sounds from the street below to create an immersive sonic and visual score. Performing live on December 9, Vitiello sculpts a real-time electronic composition, exploring how manipulation of light and sound elements transforms one's experience of place.

Program:

Stephen Vitiello

Light Readings (N.Y. Premiere)

Baryshnikov Arts Center, Studio 6A (450 West 37th Street)

On View:

December 8, 10-12, and 15-18 from 3-8PM

December 9 from 3-5PM

December 13 from 12-6PM

Admission to the installation is free, no reservation required.

Live Performance by Stephen Vitiello:

December 9, Tuesday at 7PM

The performance running time is 50 minutes. Tickets, $15, can be purchased at www.bacnyc.org or 866-811-4111.

Stephen Vitiello is a sound and media artist. His installations have been presented by and included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Lyon. CD and record releases have been created for record labels including New Albion, the Texas Gallery, Sub Rosa, and 12k. Vitiello has collaborated with numerous artists, musicians, and choreographers including Pauline Oliveros, John Jasperse (with White Oak Dance Project), Tony Oursler, Julie Mehretu, Steve Roden, Taylor Deupree, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Vitiello has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Fine Arts, Creative Capital Funding for Emerging Fields, and an Alpert/Ucross Award for Music. Originally from New York, Vitiello is now based in Richmond, VA, where he is a professor in the department of Kinetic Imaging at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) is the realization of a long-held vision by artistic director Mikhail Baryshnikov, who sought to build an arts center in Manhattan that would serve as a gathering place for artists from all disciplines. BAC's opening in 2005 heralded the launch of this mission, establishing a thriving creative laboratory and performance space for artists from around the world. BAC's activities encompass a robust residency program augmented by a range of professional services, including commissions of new work, as well as the presentation of performances by artists at varying stages of their careers. In tandem with its commitment to supporting artists, BAC is dedicated to building audiences for the arts by presenting contemporary, innovative work at affordable ticket prices. BAC serves approximately 500 artists and more than 22,000 audience members annually. For more information, visit www.bacnyc.org.