Category: project

Operative Performances at LEAP, Berlin 2011

I was invited to participate in Operative Performances at LEAP, Berlin, and had a great time working with Daniel Franke on the piece. The performative part was done by Brina Stinehelfer and Francesca Romana Ciardi. The event was organized by the We Are Chop Chop collective. Special thanks to Daniel Franke, John McKiernan, and Kai Kreuzmüller.

A black screen is hung on the wall – or is it actually a canvas? It shines and reflects and one can almost look through it. One might think of Malevich’s black square, positioned in our white cube. Malevich’s masterpiece was hung on the top of a ceiling’s corner facing slightly downwards to the audience, a style which was reserved for russian icons only. If the viewer moves close to the installation, it starts to move, making the screen bend in the upper center. The observer’s eyes can’t focus anymore and the idea of looking at/into something is broken. The emerging image is more a result of movement and less of shapes. Literally having a thin line between human and machine – digital evolution is alter the world, and it is impossible for the individual to keep step with it. Being both present and somewhat unknown, we follow our digital icon of today.
Kai Kreuzmueller

Worlds as Fragments (Live) feat. Berg Orchestra at Museum Kampa, 2010

Orchester Berg asked me to provide a visual accompaniment to their last piece, which Jakub Waisar was supposed to compose for them. I asked them to reconsider the whole thing. The soft VJ accompaniment has turned into a full-fledged collaboration between image and sound, between a visual artist and a composer.

Jakub Waisar came to my studio to understand how my Worlds as Fragments installation works. During the birth of this piece, I listened to cryosleep music for almost a year. My work’s tempo slowed Jakub and drew him into its proportions. Jakub decided to compose his first ambient work, Ambient no. 1.

Until the rehearsal with the orchestra, which took place a few hours before our performance at the Kampa Museum, I could not clearly understand ​​how the thing would sound. During the preparations, Jakub drew something like a line oscillating in different ways in place of the notes. Thanks to this imaginary musical notation, I could better understand and prepare my part.

I enriched the original assembly of the World as Fragments installation with other light-kinetic parts. I connected it to the control panel, which I could use to control the miniature theater spectacle.

It was an excellent experience for me, also thanks to the presence of Mrs. Meda Mládková in the first row. Thank you Berg; thank you Jakub.

October 4th, 2010