HALO: Silence and Light Performance

Text Stewart Johnson
Photo Visit Estonia / HALO

World-renowned architect Louis I. Khan’s famous lecture titled “Silence and Light” is one of the “seminal texts of architectural thought”. In honour of the 125th anniversary of his birth, there will be a series of performances that bring together music, light, movement, and architecture in Tallinn’s St Nicholas Museum and Church, and in Kuressaare’s Episcopal Castle.

The “HALO: Silence and Light” performances have been created by choreographer Teet Kask, and composer Kristjan Kannukene. Each performance incorporates its surroundings, creating unique presentations combined with architecture, acoustics, and light. The purpose is to explore the relationships between these elements, as well as silence itself, and the creative process, to provide audiences with a highly thought-provoking meld of architecture, creative philosophy, and contemporary art.

Visitors will also be able to purchase a copy of Kahn’s famed 1969 lecture, which was delivered in Zurich, in several languages. The publication also includes original audio of the lecture.

Tickets are available here for all performances. The Tallinn performances will be on 8–9 August, and the Kuressaare performances will be on 10–13 August.

Louis I. Khan was born in 1901, most likely in Kuressaare, but also possibly in Pärnu. At the age of three he saw coals in a heating oven and was captivated by its light, so he placed it in his apron, which subsequently caught fire and burned his face. He bore these scars for the rest of his life. In 1906, his family emigrated to the US as his father was hesitant to be called up for service during the Russo–Japanese War. He was later educated at the University of Pennsylvania, and was later a professor at Yale University.

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Concert Events in Kuressaare Events in Tallinn HALO Louis Khan Silence and Light