What do Bremerhaven and Body Operations, the title of an installation work with the same name, have in common? Nothing, but the fact that this installation could be seen in a city named Bremen almost 20 years ago and that the relationship between image and sound in the present exhibition, created almost by chance, corresponds very strongly.
But let's rather start once again: The sound comes from the background noise of an installation, which I developed in 1988 for a gallery in Bremen. The materials I used were photographs, painted over heavily and also fragmented (torn!!) in the negative process. Their motives were pictures of female and male torsi, which were first torn (the negative), then overlapped and finally changed until a completely new form emerged; varnish and acrylic additionally emphasized the dramatic movement. A light bulb was installed in front of each photograph. The walls of the room (the background for the pictures) were covered in black.
The sound collage, which was constantly repeated, consisted of the most diverse elements – a part of them were the sounds of breaking ice. This is the part I have filtered for this work and reworked in the studio until it resulted in an undetermined, dull sound conglomerate.
While looking for a visual equivalent I found a photograph from the year 1900 (Bremerhaven, 27.07) showing a regiment of soldiers listening to the infamous diatribe of Wilhelm (II.) just before they embarked to China in order to put down the so-called “Boxer Rebellion” together with soldiers of other world powers of the time. In the picture, which I have also reworked and changed, their outlines as well as their individualities are swimming (!). How many of them may have survived the (their?) matter? How many others did they force to give up their existence by carrying out their task? What may the sum be from there until now? A dull matter!
The sound piece bears witness, however abstract…
(Photo: Preussisches Staatsarchiv/ Bearbeitung: Schmidt)