:: ...of Stardust - Where Purgatory Ends :: New York City Premiere ::

Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent.

Jim Jarmusch

WPE - An Empire Beneath Oblivion by twilight13media

Dear New York City Visual Artist, Musician, Observer, Dreamer, Bird, Time Traveler…

Friend.

You’re invited to join us on Thursday, November 3rd at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn for what we believe will be two very special, distinct and parallel events.

Before being a concept, Of Stardust is a warm invitation to spend some time with your friends and be surrounded by good people, can catch up with an acquaintance, listen to some really good music, make new friends, exchange schemes and ideals; it can be whatever you want it to be…

What we’re trying to do here is support art. As much as we’ve fooled ourselves with the idea of originality until now, we realize we don’t really believe in it - but we do believe and stand behind authenticity, behind what we perceive as unpretentious and honest ways of expression coming from artists dedicated to nothing but their dreams and obsessions. In the quiet words of Steve Jobs, we believe in people who stay hungry and foolish because we have faith in the individual.

We value talent but we also value modesty and humbleness even more. We are here because we want to give a few young talented artists a voice, and by this we thank them for sharing their beauty with us and the world.

Join us. 

     promo clip:

1^st installment
6PM
 

Be what you will, you nameless Beyond -
as long as this self of mine
stays true to me … Be what you will,
as long as I can take my
Self with me. Externals are only the
varnish on a man: I am my own
Heaven and Hell.

Friedrich Schiller’s - “The Robbers” play (1781)

Starting at 6 PM and opening the evening we welcome Romanian Visual Artist Costin Chioreanu’s amazing exhibition Where Purgatory Ends  - a premiere for North America.

This fantastic event debuted on August 19th in the wonderful medieval fortress of Alba Iulia as an integral part of Dark Bombastic Evening Festival III, and it left the crowd awestruck. And now it’s here for you to see it, feel it and hear it. It’s more than just an exhibition – it’s a three-part experience. For those in the know, Costin has collaborated so far with artists like Darkthrone, Mayhem, Ulver, Absu, Zemial, Aura Noir, Vader, Destroyer 666, Hexvessel, and many more, including record labels, etc.
Some of his work can be seen here: http://twilight13media.com/

The gallery itself will host thirteen large images printed on black canvas, all representing various important moments in the young Artist’s career. Some of these beautiful works are dreams waiting to materialize while others are pure, idealized utopias. However most are just memories that just really needed to be set free.

At the core of the exhibition lies The Seeker - a personal visualization of the Soul’s asexuality, a half-male half-female entity, sentient energy questing for self-discovery through universes and life cycles. Where Purgatory Ends is a unique experience. 

Aside from the visual feast, a communion will take place where the guest will be invited to eat cookies in the shape of birds – a common theme in all of the works presented. The viewer is then united with the world portrayed on the walls and their own body.

Third and last, to accompany the artwork and align the senses, a soundtrack fills the space. The music is written and recorded by Costin himself and Rune Eriksen (of the mighty Aura Noir, Ava Inferi, ex-Mayhem) together with Andrei Ionut (bass) and Tudor Diaconescu – violin. The soundtrack is 22 minutes long and is a dark avant-garde synthesis of diverse genres including Dark Ambient, Doom Metal and Black Metal. 

Regarding WPE soundtrack, Rune Eriksen says:

“When I learned that Costin was planning a virtual exhibition, and were busy at work in composing soundtrack to the great arts he is known for, I immediately offered my assistance to help finalize the songs. Working and thinking ’outside the box’ has always intrigued me, so I was more than happy to collaborate on this instrumental adventure. The sonic journeys that Costin managed to convey is truly of a unique and inspiring character, so I am happy I could partake and add a bit of my crookedness to it also.
A trip beyond and below!”

Regarding WPE concept, Costin Chioreanu says:

“I have never reached the stars, nor did I ever exit the earth’s atmosphere. I have never been to the depths of the earth to see that it’s made of dirt or reigned by another world, I have never been thousands of meters deep to see if I can breathe, letting water invade my lungs. Almost everything I know, I have been told. Certainties, be they growing or not, are close to me, the one living under the cover of flesh and bone, the nameless, shape or serial number. I see all life as a tiny part of a long journey. This journey has nothing to do with form or state of matter, not even the borders that must be crossed, don’t know if this is the way things are since nobody around me can confirm my theories or dismiss them. All I know is that this thought makes me what I am, and everyone around me is passionate, openly or not, about what is beyond death
or before life. Some have found the answers easier, I chose to look for them further.

“Where purgatory ends” is an ironical title since I have no idea how the end of the road looks like or if the road ever really ends. It is with this thought that I hope the people that come see my works or listen to my music will appreciate this artistic happening as a celebration of our journey in and towards becoming.”

2^nd installment

8 PM

Come celebrate two of our most beloved local musicians, Kevin Hufnagel and Mick Barr – an example of both brilliance and modesty (things we love!). Somewhere in between, if you haven’t until now, discover two beautiful names: Portland’s Daniel Menche (visiting us exclusively for this event) and Canada’s Natanael Larochette (a premiere for New York City!), joining us for the conclusive set. 

Kevin Hufnagel here in New York City is known by all and loved even more. We’ve grown hungry for the sight of Dysrhythmia and especially for the mighty Canadian Gorguts, but more and more have also fallen for seeing Kevin play his ukulele and acoustic guitar. We’re beyond thrilled to have him open the evening.

Portland sends us one of their most talented native artists, Daniel Menche. With a discography that spans for over eighteen years and consists of over forty releases, he’s not only very productive musician, but one of the most thought provoking and daring noise/experimental artists out there right  now. And in flesh, he's both absolutely terrific and terrifying to the eye - truly a sight to behold. He doesn’t play live often, so this will be a treat indeed for everyone present.

OK - should we just go ahead and call Mick Barr, “Guitar PhD?”. He's the main reason why Krallice is both incredibly brilliant and yet unapproachable to most. You can't touch this guy and seriously, we don’t understand how what he does is even humanly possible; so we need to see it again so that we can convince ourselves it’s not an illusion. Ocrilim will destroy you and we are elated to have him as a guest. 

Musk Ox is a relatively brand new name in the Underground and it will strike a chord with those who love bleak, pastoral influenced ethereal Neofolk. Nathanaël Larochette is a musician born in Auxerre, France but now residing in Ottawa, Canada. Inspired by his adoptive country’s magnificent landscape, his lush and acoustic music and will immediately transcend you to albums like Ulver’s Kvelssanger, Empyrium’s Where At Night The Wood Grouse Plays or Weiland, Opeth’s Morningrise or pretty much everything Finland’s Tenhi released up till this point. And if you listen closely enough you can easily make an association with Portland’s Agalloch or Iceland’s Sigur Ros.

In its incredible simplicity, his music is patiently arranged and caries great emotional depth. It’s nostalgic, dreamy and graceful like a small mountain stream…it disconnects you from the world and sends you where the soul wants to be – in the middle of nature. It is in fact, in its beauty, an unpretentious attempt to recreate the sound of nature filtered through the human soul asking for tranquility, cleansing, youth.

Besides being a fantastic guitar player, Nathanaël is a music journalist for the metal observer, a classically trained violinist, and a spoken word poet who has been involved with the Ottawa poetry scene since 2006 and performed at Capital Slam as one of the members of Oneness collective. Nathanaël lives to create, hope, and dream because he believes these are the keys to the meaning of our being.

This is Nathanaël’s first ever presence in New York City, let’s give him a warm welcome!

See you at Saint Vitus on November 3rd!

Te-am auzit cum hăuleai departe,
Înfiorând pădurea-nzăpezită,
Bătrâne lup, cu gura istovită,
Etern pribeag al câmpurilor moarte,
Te-am auzit cum hăuleai departe.

Te-am auzit, şi-n ceasurile grele
Ce mă gonesc cu vifore turbate,
Am priceput chemarea ta de frate,
Şi-am priceput că-n noaptea fără stele
Tu eşti tovarăş visurilor mele...

Tu, numai tu, neîmblânzită fiară,
Ce-ţi strigi pustiei patima flămândă,
Şi-n prigonirea câinilor la pândă,
Îţi plimbi prin codri ura solitară -
Tu înţelegi un suflet fără ţară...

Octavian Goga - Lupul