Today Björk has unveiled her latest project: Cornucopia: The Book, a 480-page visual celebration of her acclaimed Cornucopia tour.
Designed by M/M Paris and featuring images by photographer Santiago Felipe, this comprehensive picture book captures the ambitious tour's five-year journey, blending music, technology, and visual art into an immersive live experience.
Reflecting on the project, Björk shares, "This book documents my five-year Cornucopia tour, a culmination of a decade's work with 360-degree sound and visual software in virtual reality and animation."
Prior to Cornucopia, Björk explored immersive digital worlds with the creation of Biophilia, the first app album, and Vulnicura as a VR album. These experiments laid the groundwork for bringing 21st-century technology into the 19th-century theatre, translating her visionary work from the confines of a headset to the grand stage.
Cornucopia’s stage production brought together 27 moving curtains, LED screens, and textured projections for a digitally animated live show akin to a modern lanterna magica. Accompanied by The Hamrahlíð Choir and an ensemble of bespoke instruments, including a magnetic harp, an aluphone, and a circular flute, the tour offered an otherworldly, intimate performance enhanced by a specially designed reverb chamber.
The story unfolds with a unique subplot: an avatar’s transformative journey from marionette to a healed being, weaving a narrative of metamorphosis throughout the live experience. Björk notes, "I hope you enjoy it.”
The Cornucopia tour’s inventive approach earned Björk the title of Best Live Performer from the Association of Independent Music (AIM) last year. As a multidisciplinary artist, she continues to push boundaries, merging music, art, and technology to redefine what it means to be a musician.
When is it released?
The book is available for pre-order now, and will be available from 15 November 2024.
Where can I buy it?
You can pre-order the book from Björk's official store, or Oli Records.