A new show
In collaboration with United Visual Artists and Es Devlin

‘A collective hallucination.’ Robert Del Naja

‘A musical entertainment about the power of illusion and the illusion of power.’
Adam Curtis

Connecting the dark, intense music and visual work of Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack with the thought-provoking vision of filmmaker Adam Curtis in an atmospheric space never before opened to the public, this haunted, captivating production promises to completely redefine the very idea of "the gig".

Ever since the 1991 release of their classic debut Blue Lines, Massive Attack has been one of the best and most consistently adventurous acts in the UK. Robert's painting and graphic design work have represented the band's music from their roots as a sound system. Since 2003, his LED installation work with UnitedVisualArtists has become the core of the band's live shows. These will be the group’s first live performances in Britain since 2010.

Through films such as The Century Of The Self and The Power of Nightmares, Adam Curtis has cemented his position as Britain’s most imaginative documentary filmmaker. He was one of the creators of the widely acclaimed It Felt Like a Kiss (MIF09).

United Visual Artists create work at the intersection of sculpture, architecture, live performance and digital installation. UVA have created four world and festival tours for Massive Attack and their designs for live performance have led to commissions for venues such as the Tate Modern turbine hall and the Serpentine Gallery.

Es Devlin’s stage and costume designs have been commissioned by everyone from the Royal Shakespeare Company to Kanye West.

With thanks to Felix Barrett.

CREDIT
Commissioned by Manchester International Festival
Ruhrtriennale International Festival of the Arts and Park Avenue Armory.
Produced by Manchester International Festival.
In partnership with the BBC.
Supported by MIF Commissioning Circle.