The Internationale, 1999

Susan Philipsz sings: the voice is her instrument and existing songs are her language. Responding to the specificity of certain environments or places, the artist draws upon the rich repertoire of popular culture, but also easy listening music and sometimes opera, and then interprets passages and songs in an Acappella technique, without musical accompaniment, using only her own voice. Different from what a professional singer might offer, Philipsz’s interpretations are characterized by hesitations and slight cracks, minor errors that allow one to sense the body of the artist, giving emotional and sensual form to the place in which the songs are transmitted. [...]