Awoiska van der Molen

Van der Molen’s monochrome images arise from a desire to penetrate deep into the essence of the secluded natural world. Both in taking the analogue photographs and in printing the silver gelatin prints, they take shape through a slow, almost meditative process. 

The Living Mountain manifests itself in this musical work as a living presence, constantly shifting in atmosphere, mood and texture. The black-and-white images and the experimental music merge just as often as they collide. We hear the voice of a soprano, interpreting the words of writer Nan Shepherd. In her book The Living Mountain, written in 1945 but not published until 1977, Shepherd describes her intense sensory experience of the Scottish Highlands – a source of inspiration for Van der Molen and Larcher. 

The publication The Living Mountain by Awoiska van der Molen, featuring fragments of Larcher’s sheet music, was designed and published by Hans Gremmen, Fw:books, in 2020. The musical work premiered in 2022 at the Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam and has since been performed live on several occasions.