Memento...Boltanski!

“Because one thing is stronger than us, namely the eternal progression of time, which never stops and inevitably leads to death.” (Christian Boltanski)

An artificial choreography is generated by stringing together and repeating 25 still images. A rhythm is formed by modules of natural and artificial sounds (water drops and the clatter of a machine). A whispering voice recites “The Burial of the Dead” from the poem “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot.

In the left part of the screen is a static image that at first glance resembles a sacred motif, perhaps an altar of some sort. In fact, it is a table with a bird’s nest in the light of a neon lamp. In it lie small bird skeletons.

Memento… Boltanski! ” is a vanitas dance on the futility of life.

• Eri Kassnel Director
• Eri Kassnel Producer
• Dominik Feistmantl Dancer

Making

The basis of this work are photographs in long exposure, which were taken during a dance rehearsal. Since the order of the photos was rearranged by me, the resulting “dance” has nothing to do with the original choreography. On an acoustic level, I proceeded in a similar way: from water dripping and machine noises, I selected individual elements and put them together to form a rhythm.

Sound

All sounds are made  and edited by myself exclusively for this work.