Anohni & The Johnsons: MoMA

For the release of their fourth album, Mercury Award Winners, ANOHNI and the Johnsons, collaborated with laser artist, Chris Levine, as they toured four major cities with their groundbreaking performance of 'Swanlights.'

The result of the band and Levine’s collaboration was a new art form that sat somewhere between an installation, a theatre piece, and a traditional concert. When considering his main objective for this project, Levine sought to, 'create key peak moments in response to the music to bring about the harmony of light and sound.'

This immersive work first appeared at the Manchester International Festival in 2009, where it captured the attention of MoMA Chief Curator Klaus Biesenbach. He subsequently commissioned Levine to bring the piece to New York’s Radio City Music Hall in 2010 as part of Swanlights, presented by The Museum of Modern Art. For the New York iteration, Levine expanded the concept further, developing new laser-based visual techniques and a 'blipvert' portrait of ANOHNI.

This collaboration between ANOHNI and Levine marked a pivotal moment in his practice, redefining what a live concert could be.