Natively Digital: A Curated NFT Sale by Sotheby’s.

Description

Brendan Dawes

in collaboration with Logan Nelson and Charlotte Edmonds

The Pandora Variations

2021

Brendan Dawe’s The Pandora Variations presents generative work with original music and choreography in five distinct yet connected parts; Hatred, Jealousy, Turmoil, Sickness and Hope. Previews of Turmoil and Jealousy are displayed on this Sotheby’s lot page.

The Pandora Variations are Dawes’s most recent works to question the interpretation of our existence. The series takes inspiration from the Greek mythological tale of Pandora, with each work representing one of five distinct, though connected parts: Hatred, Jealousy, Turmoil, Sickness and Hope. Such a story holds great pertinence to the events of the last year, which caused pain and loss to many. Dawes, therefore, set out to create a body of work that not only acknowledges this suffering, but also embodies the importance of optimism. One must remember that “after all the evils of the world were released from Pandora’s jar, hope remained.” As a result, the thought-provoking series aptly demonstrates how Dawes questions our perceptions of memory and time through the lens of popular culture, while maintaining that optimism in the time of adversity. 

For the project, Dawes worked with two prodigious collaborators. The first, Logan Nelson, scored the original music for the series. In 2018, the “must watch composer”, as endorsed by Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins, was named Best Young International Composer at the World Soundtrack Awards in Ghent, Belgium. Dawes also worked with choreographer, actor, and filmmaker Charlotte Edmonds on The Pandora Variations. She acted as both choreographer and dance performer in these works. Edmonds, who made her choreographic debut at The Royal Ballet when she was 16, has worked on a broad variety of shows gaining international recognition.