20 Jul Music production for contemporary art
© Daimler Art Collection
I had the pleasure to work with artist Ulrike Flaig. Her work Picture in Motion is part of the exhibition 31: Women at Daimler Contemporary in Berlin Potsdamer Platz.
Picture in Motion is a Hommage to A. Fleischmann and his painting Opus #19. Ulrike Flaig transforms the abstract configuration of black surfaces, angular forms and horizontal lines into a three-dimensional painting in her spatial installation Picture in Motion. “With this installation I have made a picture not only ‘visible’ but also ‘audible.’ By analysing the painting, I have worked out a structure and used it as a basis for a notation. This in turn is the prerequisite for an acoustic reproduction of the picture.”
I took care of the production of the music, following the composition that Ulrike Flaig has transcribed from the painting. As the original painting was done in the early 50s I had the idea to use a very early kind of synthesizer for this task, the Ondes Martenot.This very special instrument has been used in the past by movie composers like Elmer Bernstein or Maurice Jarre, it sounds alive and imperfect – just like the brush strokes of an artist. The individual timbre oscillates in subtle nuances, just as the light breaks differently in the fine lines of the oil paint. As you can walk through the painting, feel it, see it and listen to it, Ulrike Flaigs work touches all of your senses at once. It’s a very special experience, and I’m happy to be part of it. See it live at:
31: Women
DAIMLER CONTEMPORARY (Haus Huth)
Alte Potsdamer Straße 5, 10785 Berlin
Open daily between 11 am-6 pm until 27th of June 2021