Twiceful Mind and how to stage a performance installation
We caught up with experimental duo Twiceful Mind to learn more about their innovative approach and how to stage an event blending art and music...
Twiceful Mind are Alessandra Balliana and Matteo Galesi, a pair of ICMP alumni intent on working outside the norm and blending a strong songwriting sense with performance.
Describing themselves as much artists as musicians, their collaborative ethos is best heard via their debut single, 'Inertia', a track that recalls the likes of Bjork or The Knife. With a performance installation launch to be held on 3 December at Camden People’s Theatre, we caught up with the experimental duo to learn more about their sounds plus get their tips on how to stage an event marrying art and music...
Could you explain a little about the event planning process for the upcoming gig? At what stage did you begin preparing for the show?
The first ideas came to mind almost one year ago. From the first concepts to the realisation, there’s been a lot of preparation and planning which mainly involved devising a strategy and building a distinctive online presence. We effectively started planning for the show last July, when we met Black Lune and she offered to collaborate on the installation.
How did pick the venue for the event? What considerations factored into it?
It wasn’t easy to find a flexible space, suitable to both an art exhibition and a live music event. It had to be of the right capacity, be in a good location and within our budget.
We discovered Camden People’s Theatre after some intensive research. It is a beautiful venue and we instantly thought it would fit our project perfectly. It's got a dark, minimalistic and intimate vibe to it, while being the perfect size and capacity for an art installation and an act starting out. I can’t thank James enough (the theatre’s manager) for all of his help, support and patience during these months!
What's the aim for the performance installation? And how did you connect with Black Lune?
When we first met with Andrea Stragapede and Monica Presti, the two motion designers that created the music video of ‘Inertia’ they came up with a very interesting and creative interpretation that we wanted to extend the collaboration further. We find that collaborating is a key value in music and art in general.
Black Lune (Jelka Quintelier) and I used to work at the same place and I’ve always loved her work. We thought she would be a great collaborator for this project. Her ethos and ideas naturally suit the dark atmosphere of the song and its visuals.
The aim of the event is to explore a slightly different way of connecting with the audience, creating more of a sense of involvement.
Have you got any advice for ICMP students looking to host a similar event on how best to promote?
My best advice would be to start planning early! Time is never too much when it comes to organising, so try to allow as much as you possibly can. We’ve used social media quite a lot but honestly we find those platforms very chaotic and cluttered with content, so it can be hard to get noticed. We found that communicating with our followers through a newsletter is a more personal and valuable way. If I was still a student at ICMP I would definitely look for help amongst students from the Music Business course.
How do you measure success when it comes to the event?
Firstly, we believe that being ‘out there, doing your thing’ for any starting project is the first big achievement. The fact that the project has come to life and you are presenting it to your peers for the first time is a success.
I guess that, secondly, we wanted to create some curiosity around the event. Without giving away too many details and leaving space to wonder how it’s going to be, I think that success would be being able to meet the expectation of the guests.
We realise that the song we have released is quite unusual as a single and the fact that it generated quite a bit of interest and gained us some following is another success.
What does the future look like for Twiceful Mind?
We are working on a second release and new music. We have also started new collaborations with other artists and the plan is to cross paths with many different disciplines, bring people together and be interdependent.
Visit twicefulmind.com for more information and listen to 'Inertia'.
Study at ICMP
If you'd like to follow in the footsteps of Twiceful Mind, then sign up for a course for 2018. Our Admissions Team are on hand to help you find the best course for you - call them on 020 7328 0222 or email enquiries@icmp.ac.uk.