It is not often that a concert program transcends the boundaries of musicology so radically that sound itself becomes a physical, almost architectural reality. Those familiar with the legacy of conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner (1942–2021) know that language for him was not merely a means of communication, but a plastic material – a sculpture of meaning. That the Ghent Herbert Foundation presents on Sunday 31 May the very first live performance of his historic LP 7 from 1972, may therefore be called both a historical and artistic first. In the shadow of the ongoing exhibition RED AND GREEN AND BLUE MORE OR LESS, this promises to be an afternoon in which language and sound seek each other out in a profound intellectual movement.
The skeleton of the scale
When Weiner released his first LP in 1972 through the Yvon Lambert gallery, he deliberately sought the transformative power of audio. 7 is strict and at the same time infinitely free, constructed around the seven fundamental notes of our Western scale, from C to B. The work functions as a meticulous linguistic and musical investigation: each note is explored step by step in its different registers – high, middle, low – and in its harmonic shifts via sharps and flats.
The structure Weiner dictates here is not a rigid score, but a skeleton. The language generates the trajectory; the punctuation and specific sentence construction determine the rhythm with which the space is explored. It is an aesthetic that remains completely free from mannerism or cheap effect. Everything revolves around the pure essence of the relationship between voice and instrument.
A parallel dialogue in sound and diction
[caption id="attachment_55825" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Nicolas Di Costanzo[/caption]
The live performance in Ghent promises to be a fascinating exercise in contrasts and acoustic resonance. Weiner's conceptual texts are first recited in English by David Chan, after which Marieke Van Acker takes on the French translation. It is precisely in that sequence that the poetry lies: the inherent differences in sentence structure, diction and language characteristics between English and French force subtle shifts in sound.
Flutist Sara Di Constanzo responds to these linguistic impulses. Her instrument receives the task not merely to accompany, but to enter into direct, parallel dialogue with the spoken word. Where the voice stops, the flute reaches toward transcendence; where language limits, sound opens the space. It promises to be a performance in which the musicians and speakers must build the tension meticulously, balancing between the rigor of the concept and the absolute musical freedom of the moment.
Introspection and encounter
What gives this afternoon extra meaning is the organic embedding within the walls of the Herbert Foundation. The friendship and radical dedication that collectors Annick and Anton Herbert once shared with Weiner is still tangibly present in this Ghent warehouse. After the concert and a subsequent discussion with the performers led by director Laura Hanssens, the audience is invited to visit the exhibition. Sound, space and silence flow seamlessly into one another. A rare moment of serenity and artistic intensity that will undoubtedly remain with the listener not as a coincidental event, but as a profound intellectual experience.
Practical information:
- What: Concert Lawrence Weiner, 7
- When: Sunday 31 May 2026, doors open from 13:30, starts at 14:00
- Where: Herbert Foundation (Warehouse), Raas van Gaverestraat 106, Ghent
- More information and tickets: https://herbert-foundation.weticket.io/concert-lawrence-weiner-7