Fri 8 — Sun 31 Aug 2008
- Time:
- 10.00 am — 5.00 pm
- Location:
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (find us)
- Venue:
- Temperate Palmhouse and Lower Temperate Walkway Foyer
- Booking:
- Free admission. No booking required.
The Twittering Machine project is a unique and fascinating collaboration between the Edinburgh International Festival and RBGE in celebration of the 100th anniversary of composer Olivier Messiaen's birth and of the work of visual artist Paul Klee.
The exhibition and events in the Garden in August are the culmination of months of activity by children and adults alongside professional musicians and visual artists, much of it inspired by the Garden. In Paul Klee's work Twittering Machine (1922), from which the project takes it name, a complex array of small mechanical birds sing into infinity. This image was the starting point for local primary school children, during spring term visits, to explore the light and environs of the Garden. The artwork they produce will be displayed in the Temperate Palmhouse and the Lower Temperate Walkway Foyer.
Young musicians are working with established Scottish composer Alasdair Nicolson to create their own musical responses to nature and Messiaen's work. The music will be played daily during the Festival in the Temperate Palmhouse in addition to two special live performances. These performances take place on Friday 15 and Thursday 21 August at 6.00pm in the Temperate Palmhouse. Tickets cost £6 and are available from the Edinburgh International Festival Box Office, The Hub, Castlehill, Edinburgh, 0131 473 2000 or visit www.eif.co.uk/twitteringmachine