Rare Window
Repeat, again and again! – Wordlessly repeated actions are characteristic of Gregor Kuschmirz´ video productions.
In 'Chase 75' Kuschmirz deals with the human quest for attention by endlessly running after the camera like the hare chasing the tortoise, while in 'Dorsoduro' he crosses a venetian bridge 500 times to establish a relationship between Venice and the nearby mountains.
Kuschmirz' videos refer to politics and social questions in different ways: straightforwardly by the use of United Nations´ war photography in 'but first'
more subtly through metaphoric puppetry in 'In Waves' or entirely imbedded in the emptiness of a zero-sum game, which takes place in 'Flysch'.
The selection Rare Window puts videos – realised since 2003 - in an aesthetic context.
Flysch
A group of young women and men is shown from different and ever-changing angles. Without direct interactions they are fulfilling exercises, which are neither productive nor consumptive. The multi-screen video installation is based on a library of 30 sec.-clips, which result in an endlessly changing seemless loop of 3'30min., which is editing itself during playback.
The simultaneity of perspectives creates an omnipresent spectator, while the absence of any visible camera rises questions about the validity of the given information. non-linear video installation, 42min. total, Monteombraro/Munich, 2003
Chase 75
"Thank you for the flowers" is the chorus of the german intro to Tom and Jerry. In Chase 75 Kuschmirz plays the part of Tom, while the camera takes Jerry´s part. Kuschmirz walks energetically towards the camera, which consistently jumps to the next point of view. This way the bouquet of yellow flowers, which Kuschmirz holds in his left hand, remains forever undelivered. video loop for single or stereo projection, 3min., Cairo, 2008
But First
The video clip for the italian artist duo 'Nagel' deals with the United Nation's failure in Syria. Furniture and ruins rotate on a revolving stage. Spotlights flicker consistently with the beat. The floor reflects pictures of war, which are projected on the rear wall. In between a male voice confusedly talks about death and fight: "but first I will fight".
video clip, 5 min., Cologne, 2013
In Waves
Kuschmirz and Dörning with their dancing puppets have a whirl inside a dark museum.
The audience has left. The exhibits spring to life - prompted by the music of the Italian artist duo Nagel. Kuschmirz and Dörning manipulate the puppets in a clearly perceiveable manner and so become an integral part of of an accurate choreography. video clip, 5 min., Cologne, 2017
Coincidence
6 TV sets are arranged in an empty room. Each TV shows the italian sound artist Diego Cofone performing a different wind instrument, performing a score by Gregor Kuschmirz, which is made up of instructions about volume, pitch, pauses and his distance to the camera.
The concert is composed of overlapping video loops of various duration. Animations of the video´s color channels illustrate the running time of each video.
Videoinstallation, 9 min., Catena die Villorba, 2005
Dorsoduro
Dorsoduro is Kuschmirz´ first production at FABRICA and came into being through the cultural initiative "Venice is not sinking".
Based on Kuschmirz´ encounter of a 1000m benchmark in the mountains near Venice, he contrasts the sinking city with high altitude.
He crosses a bridge in the venetian neighbourhood of Dorsoduro 500 times (which adds up a difference in altitude of about 1000m) and documents his ride to the closest point of such height near Vittorio Veneto.
video, 3 min., Venice/Catena die Villorba, 2005
