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Musician / visual artist Antony is this year's Meltdown director. Since 1993, some of the world's most distinguished musicians including Nick Cave, John Peel, Laurie Anderson, Patti Smith, David Bowie and, most recently, Ray Davies, have directed Meltdown, hand-picking their ideal festival by inviting their favourite artists to play, perform and exhibit their work at Southbank Centre. Meltdown 2012 sees Antony create a line-up of twelve days of music, debate and performance that reflects his interests, influences and passions. Having begun his career in the New York underground scene, Antony emerged with Antony and the Johnsons in 1998 and shot to prominence with the Mercury Prize-winning album I am a Bird Now. Since then critical acclaim has followed each of his projects including the albums The Crying Light and Swanlights. His performances have ranged from collaborations with symphony orchestras and performance artists to last summer's The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic, directed by Robert Wilson. Most recently Antony and the Johnsons performed Swanlights commissioned by The Museum of Modern Art to a sold out crowd at Radio City Music Hall, which the New York Times described as 'gorgeously appointed cries from the heart, crashing like waves'. Antony has collaborated with a wide-ranging group of artists and musicians including Bj?rk, Yoko Ono, Devendra Banhart, Rufus Wainwright, Laurie Anderson, CocoRosie and Lou Reed.