Last weekend, composer and percussionist Susie Ibarra performed Fragility: A Game of Polyrhythms in the beautiful outdoor surroundings of Governor's Island. A musical game piece featuring the DreamTime Ensemble, Fragility invites members of the audience to conduct the ensemble through rhythms and musical motifs. Using polyrhythms as a model for human interdependence, the work is a staging of relationships with the game element allowing for a spirited shifting of roles and perspectives in live musical experimentation.

Fragility: A Game of Polyrhythms builds upon explorations conducted in Ibarra's previous work, the Creative Common Ground-supported Fragility: An Exploration of Polyrhythms, which premiered at Asia Society in June 2018. The performance of Fragility: A Game of Polyrhythms was presented in partnership with Harvestworks and the New York Electronic Art Festival.

Formed by Ibarra, the DreamTime Ensemble includes Claudia Acuña (vocals), Yves Dharamraj (cello), Cornelius Dufallo (violin), Yuka C. Honda (electronics), Susie Ibarra (drumset and percussion), and Jake Landau (guitar, banjo, and keyboard). Check out our favorite photos from the performance!

Asia Society Triennial artist Susie Ibarra performs Fragility: A Game of Polyrhythms at Governor's Island, July 2019. (Ellen Wallop/Asia Society)

---