Kunstraum L6, Freiburg, 2007, Art Descriptions, Audio Installation, 7-parts

Plasticine, Loudspeakers, DVD-Player
Text: Esther Hiepler, Voice: Gerd Hiepler

Raw kneaded small clumps are installed in a row along the walls. As the viewer approaches, s/he can hear whispering coming out of these clumps. The whispering voice describes strange events. The voice depicts performances and installations of contemporary art and music. The descriptions are neutral and factual, without any interpretation.

At first, the listener can't recognise the context in which these events occur. The situations described could be dreams or ideas for projects. The neutral descriptions allow the viewer to listen to various depictions of projects without judgement. Only the narrator interprets the text in his own way. His tone emphasizes trivial details. His conspiratorial whisper creates an intimate situation, which stands in contrast to the cool, factual descriptions. While listening to the descriptions, the listener becomes a viewer, even if there is nothing to see.

Text samples

Audio 55":
A film shows two male hands at a work table. On the table there are three white envelopes. Two small ones and another longish one. Beside these: scissors, adhesive tape and glue. The two smaller envelopes are cut apart and glued together with brown adhesive tape. The tape is painted white. The new envelope now measures about the same as the bigger, longish one. The two envelopes are arranged on the table to compare. The handmade envelope looks very different from the original but the size is now the same.

Audio 42":
A young man stands in front of the audience. He wears frumpy clothes. After clenching his hands for a while, he eats a big onion. While this is happening, he plays music from the film Koyaanisqatsi. He plays the music on his ipod, over loudspeakers. Eating the onion makes him choke and tear. It takes some time until he has eaten the onion. After that he mimes artificial crying and squeezes tears while one more dramatic song comes from the loudspeakers.

Audio 29":
Two big clocks are mounted at the wall. Cables lead from the clocks to a loudspeaker. Every jump of the minute hand generates a deep, booming sound.