Bendik Giske

Bendik Giske is an artist and saxophonist devoted to fearless exploration of his body - its boundaries and its meanings. While playing the saxophone he uses the unusual technique of circular breathing to achieve mesmerizing effects. The idea of the body and its vulnerability and endurance is important for Giske not just in the sense of control needed while playing the instrument. It’s also present in his movement, which goes back to dancing traditions from Bali, where he spent his childhood, and is linked to his sense of queerness which has helped him create his own voice on the music stage. 

In the past, Giske's aim during each performance was to become more and more like a machine. Now, after his acclaimed second album Cracks (2021), he says he “is trying a new set of parameters for the automated processes of his muscle memory to work against”.