Oliver Beer at the Biennale de Lyon 2024, "Les voix des fleuves, Crossing the water"

Oliver Beer has been granted rare access to the renowned Palaeolithic painted caves of Dordogne, which house some of humanity’s earliest artworks. During his exploration, he uncovered a fascinating relationship between the cave paintings and the acoustic resonance of the space. Realizing that it was impossible to bring the public into the caves to experience this phenomenon firsthand, Beer devised an innovative solution: to bring the cave to the viewer.

For the Lyon Biennale, he will transform the cave's unique acoustic properties into an immersive 8-screen video installation. This installation features a new composition and an octet of singers, including world-renowned artists such as Woodkid, Melissa Laveaux, and Rufus Wainwright. The piece allows audiences to engage with the extraordinary interplay of visual art and music, immersing them in the acoustic environment of the cave while also exploring the musical memories of each singer and the shared musical heritage of humanity.