Photo : Hervé Véronèse / Centre Pompidou, Man Ray Trust / Adagp, Paris
Action! Man Ray
Fifty years after the death of the painter, photographer, and filmmaker Man Ray, the Centre Pompidou, Ircam, the Ensemble intercontemporain, and the Orchestre de Paris Choir—all celebrating their fiftieth anniversary—revive four of his films with contemporary music.
Philharmonie de Paris (Paris 19th)
About
As a photographer, Man Ray also willingly used the camera as a tool for his artistic experimentation. His films, concentrated between 1920 and 1930, bear witness to his era—silent, black and white, flirting with surrealism—as well as his audacity to transcend cinematic language and forms. To accompany four gems from the Centre Pompidou's collections, Austrian composer Peter Jakober (born 1977) and American composer Sarah Kirkland Snider (1973) were commissioned to write choral works for sixty singers, the ensemble required for John Cage's piece Four², which is paired with Autoportrait. Also premiering is a work for ensemble and electronics by Japanese composer Mayu Hirano (1979), participating in a reimagining of Les Mystères du château du Dé.
Co-presented by the Centre Pompidou and the Philharmonie de Paris.
In partnership with Ircam-Centre Pompidou.
Program
Film by Man Ray: Emak Bakia, 1926 / Music by Peter Jakober: new work - world premiere
Film by Man Ray: Autoportrait ou ce qui nous manque à nous tous, 1930 / Music by John Cage: Four2
Film by Man Ray: Les Mystères du Château du Dé, 1929 / Music by Mayu Hirano: new work - world premiere
Film by Man Ray: L'Étoile de mer, 1928 / Music by Sarah Kirkland Snider: new work - world premiere
Cast
Ensemble intercontemporain
Orchestre de Paris Chamber Choir
George Jackson, conductor
Richard Wilberforce, choir director
Dionysios Papanikolaou, IRCAM electronics
Luca Bagnoli, IRCAM sound diffusion
Our take on this event
Man Ray's iconic surrealist films undergo a striking modern metamorphosis as legendary cinematic experiments meet bold, newly commissioned scores. With sixty singers and intricate electronics filling the space, the program offers a hypnotic fusion of silent imagery and cutting-edge sound that is guaranteed to stay with you long after the final frame.
Experience the surrealist cinematic vision of Man Ray during a special evening at the Philharmonie de Paris on Saturday, January 30, 2027. From 20:00 to 23:00, four iconic experimental films are presented alongside new musical scores performed by the Ensemble intercontemporain and the Orchestre de Paris Chamber Choir. This collaboration between the Philharmonie and the Centre Pompidou blends 1920s black-and-white avant-garde film with contemporary compositions. It is a ticketed event offering a rare look at how modern soundscapes reinterpret the silent masterpieces of the early 20th century.
On Saturday, January 30, 2027, the Philharmonie de Paris hosts an evening dedicated to the artistic experiments of Man Ray. From 20:00 to 23:00, the program features the screening of four films: Emak Bakia (1926), Autoportrait (1930), Les Mystères du Château du Dé (1929), and L'Étoile de mer (1928).
The silent films are accompanied by live performances from the Ensemble intercontemporain, led by conductor George Jackson, and the Orchestre de Paris Chamber Choir, led by chorus master Richard Wilberforce. The repertoire includes world premieres by composers Peter Jakober, Mayu Hirano, and Sarah Kirkland Snider, alongside John Cage's piece Four². IRCAM experts Dionysios Papanikolaou and Luca Bagnoli manage the electronics and sound diffusion.
This event is co-produced by the Centre Pompidou and the Philharmonie de Paris, with the partnership of the Ircam-Centre Pompidou. Tickets are required for entry.
