Cage 100 Festival – Opening of Devoted Play - Thursday, November 8th, 2012

Details

Opening of Devoted Play, an exhibition of visual material by/around/concerning John Cage
reception co-hosted by the Victoria Symphony

John Cage was one of the iconic and revolutionary figures in musical history and indeed in all of the arts! This year’s Victoria
Symphony New Music Festival celebrates the 100th anniversary of Cage’s birth. In collaboration with the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
and the University of Victoria, a series of concerts, art exhibitions and special retrospectives will feature John Cage as a multifaceted
figure, having importance in music, visual art, critical thinking, writing… his influence continues to grow, 20 years
after his death!

John Cages Autobiographical Statement

I once asked Aragon, the historian, how history was written. He said, “You have to invent it.” When I wish as now to tell of critical incidents, persons, and events that have influenced my life and work, the true answer is all of the incidents were critical, all of the people influenced me, everything that happened and that is still happening influences me.

My father was an inventor. He was able to find solutions for problems of various kinds, in the fields of electrical engineering, medicine, submarine travel, seeing through fog, and travel in space without the use of fuel. He told me that if someone says “can’t” that shows you what to do. He also told me that my mother was always right even when she was wrong.

Read The Full Statement