Assembly to return to Somerset House Studios for the first time in four years

Somerset House Studios has announced the return of its ‘Assembly‘ series, for the first time in four years.

Exploring sound, music, and performance – the four-day programme will feature brand-new collaborations, commissions, and live premieres investigating themes of diaspora, the climate crisis, folklore, political linguistics, spirituality, and more.

Much of the work has been developed at Somerset House Studios and will travel to international festivals including Rewire in the Hague and Edinburgh Art Festival later in the year.

Travelling to the Hague in April is ‘Where the Veil Is Thin,’ a brand-new commission by Scottish bagpipe player Bríghde Chaimbeul in collaboration with sculptor Vivienne Griffin, choreographer Maëva Berthelot, and dancer Temitope Ajose.

Delving into Gaelic folklore and nature, ‘Where the Veil Is Thin’ will be the opening performance in the “Assembly” series.

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The programme will feature several multi-disciplinary performances throughout the series. Showcasing brand-new performances are recipients of the Somerset House Studios’ Music and Sound Residency, exlRtuth, Zein Majali, and Lord Tusk.

Composer exlRtuth will team up with NTS’ Mark Leckey to perform their new original score for ‘Romeo’s Fall,’ a new piece “traversing romance and romanticism in a post-industrial North East England.“

Additionally, producer Lord Tusk will be presenting an experimental moving image piece titled ‘small talk KILLS,’ which will include a score performed live by the artist himself.

Berlin producer Dis Fig will premiere a new body of work, developed during her residency at Somerset House Studios, reports a press release. Dis Fig’s show in the “Assembly” series will be her debut solo London performance.

In another first, headliner Chuquimamani-Condori is to perform their first solo London show in 6 years following the release of their debut album ‘DJ E.’

The Bolivian-American artist released ‘DJ E’ last year, and it’s since been described by Pitchfork as “a binary-smashing collage with ecstatic overtones” that weaves Andean folk music with a collage of “splintered” sound effects.

Read this next: “Trying to communicate”: Dis Fig is baring her soul through music

Accompanying the programme of performance, art, and music is a new podcast by Somerset House Studios. Titled ‘Not Strictly Speaking,’ each episode will follow an artist from the 2024 programme, scored by French composer Felicia Atkinson.

“Assembly” will take place March 20 – 23. Further talks and lectures are to be announced in February.

Tickets are available for purchase now, via the official website.

Belle Richardson is Mixmag’s Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter