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Rainforest V is an immersive installation animated by a
computer program that brings together 20 suspended sound
sculptures into a rich sonic and visual environment. It is
DAVID TUDOR AND constructed with designed and found objects, such as a
COMPOSERS INSIDE sculpture made of plastic tubing, an oil barrel, and a vintage
four-foot-diameter computer hard disk. Each object is fitted
ELECTRONICS with a sonic transducer to amplify its resonant frequencies,
The Museum of Modern Art providing each object with a unique “voice.” The resulting
installation presents a polyphonic chorus created through a
collective artistic process.

MoMA’s inaugural presentation in the Marie-Josée and Henry Additionally, through a collaborative workshop of musicians
Kravis Studio highlights a landmark work in the collection: and artists working across generations and approaches,
the sound installation Rainforest V (variation 1) (1973–2015), CIE will create a new realization of Tudor’s rarely performed
conceived by pianist and composer David Tudor (American, Forest Speech (1976). In this piece, the performers will use the
1926-1996)—an early pioneer of electronic music and sound instrumental nature of the objects in Rainforest V (variation 1)
installation—and realized by Composers Inside Electronics to inspire new interpretations.
(John Driscoll and Phil Edelstein, with contributions to the Organized by Ana Janevski, Curator, and Martha Joseph,
sound library by Matt Rogalsky). Rainforest as a concept Assistant Curator, Department of Media and Performance;
originated from a sound score Tudor created for choreographer performances produced by Kate Scherer, Manager, with Ginny
Merce Cunningham’s 1968 dance RainForest, a multimedia Benson, Assistant Performance Coordinator, Performance and
performance featuring floating metallic balloons by Andy Live Programs.
Warhol and flesh-colored costumes by Jasper Johns. Tudor
would work with Composers Inside Electronics (CIE) (active
David Tudor. Forest Speech. 1978/79. Performed on Rainforest V (variation
1973–present) on multiple iterations of Rainforest over the
1), 1973-2015, conceived by David Tudor, realized by Composers Inside
next several decades. Rainforest V evolved from Rainforest IV, Electronics, Inc. Performed by Phil Edelstein, Marina Rosenfeld, Stefan
a collaborative performance installation developed during a Tcherepnin, Spencer Topel, and Jeremy Toussaint-Baptiste. Pictured from right
to left: Stefan Tcherepnin, Marina Rosenfeld, Jeremy Toussaint-Baptiste, and
workshop at the New Music in New Hampshire festival in 1973.
Phil Edelstein. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, October 24, 2019. Image
© 2019 The Museum of Modern Art. Photo: Heidi Bohnenkamp

56 WORLD of ART