Sky Burial makes UK debut at Barbican

Mat Collishaw's Sky Burial makes its UK debut on 20 November in London's Barbican Hall, following successful performances in Paris, Baden-Baden, Antwerp, Rouen, Kristiansand, Moscow and Hobart.

Sky Burial is a profound meditation on nature and death, bringing together a film by Collishaw with a live performance of Fauré's Requiem, which will be given in London by Insula Orchestra, conducted by Laurence Equilbey. Maestro Arts represents Collishaw for his music projects, and Sky Burial is part of our project portfolio.

Seen and Heard International wrote of the Paris event: 'The effect of the film on our perception of Fauré Requiem – a piece almost achingly, cosily, familiar – was remarkable. Normally considered one of the 'softer' requiems (compared with Verdi's gargantuan effort!), this event added whole new layers… The arc of the film is simple, but the 'weaving' of images is what gives the film its profundity. A massively moving, profound experience, and a true melding of the heard (the Requiem) and the seen (Collishaw's film).'

In an interview, Collishaw explained, 'The music is very beautiful and ethereal, and it could easily have been a video of clouds and angels, but that would have been superfluous and wouldn't have engaged people. I wanted to introduce something about the subject of life passing into death that really hit home, using visuals as a contrast to the sublime music. That juxtaposition makes the sublime even more intense. I wanted to take people to a place they might not normally visit when they’re listening to Fauré's Requiem, and have them think about questions such as life and death, mortality and the cycle of life.'

Collishaw's Petrichor is currently showing at Kew Gardens, and has also received rave reviews, with The Guardian writing, 'Mat Collishaw has created a creepy and beautiful, horrible and exquisite cabinet of botanical curiosities that puts the shock and sensation back into British modern art.'

Sky Burial is performed at Barbican Centre on 20 November.