Czech Sound Artist Brings Her Bohemian Cristal Instrument to Detroit

Lenka Morávková is currently on tour and will be performing at The Underground at DIME on Tuesday, November 5th.

Meta Stange
Meta Stange

As a child, Czech sound artist and songwriter Lenka Morávková loved the sound of breaking glass.

Once she discovered its artistic nature, she found a way to incorporate it into her creative practice by sculpting a “glass beast” called the Bohemian Cristal Instrument. 

It’s a nod to an invention that dates back over seven decades ago when Bernard and Francois Baschet were conceptualizing and building experimental sculptures inspired by sound. In the 1950s, the brothers invented their most successful sound structure known today as the Cristal Baschet. Learning this history and while attending a workshop in Barcelona, Lenka had the idea to create her own version. 

Combined with Lenka’s ethereal vocals, the acoustics offer a hypnotic, ambient vibe that lends itself to a multi-sensory experience when she hits the stage. 

In 2018, Lenka released her debut EP “Unicode.” She’s currently taking her “glass beast” across the U.S for the Crystallize tour with a stop at music venue the Underground at the Detroit Institute for Music Education on Tuesday, November 5th.

Click the player for Lenka Morávková’s live performance and​ conversation with CultureShift’s Ryan Patrick Hooper.

Post written by LaToya Cross 

Interview by Ryan Patrick Hooper

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