Hólo(s)

‘Hólos’ (Ancient Greek ὅλος) is open to multiple interpretations. It refers to the presence and interdependence of all the parts as a ‘Whole’ (a total), transcending the mere sum of all the parts. ‘Hólos’ may refer to the ‘body in its entirety’ as well as the ‘Altogether’ working as a system - here the Whole. In sacred writings, ‘Hólos’ may also describe the ‘wholeness’ or the ‘to be made whole’, i.e. the actions of restoration and healing.

Inspired by these interpretations, the piece explores air as a form of energy and means to work on texture. Air (souffle) is developed as a complex physical and acoustic phenomenon of which every single (micro-) aspect has an impact on the whole resulting sound and texture. Throughout the work, the various individual instrumental forms of air merge and become a whole body, a ‘metabolism’ of sound that create a wider textural element. Textures become circulating hybrid ‘masses’ of air that are developed as flux and forces, using the energy of air (souffle) to create a system based on its multiplicity (a ‘Hólos’).