Synopsis

Our universe consists mostly of dark and unperceivable materia. This performance is a door to enter this world. The visual source material for Materia Obscura are about 25.000 scans in high resolution of 16mm ‘chemograms’ that Jürgen Reble produced in the past. These ‘chemograms’ are made by unique alchemical transformations of the film material itself. The final editing of the image streams will happen live on the computer. It is a visual expedition into cristallized salts and dyes wich are changing rhythm and structure constantly between moving images. Inside the chemical elements of the film appears the bizarre richness and beauty of its materiality.
In his music, Thomas Köner always moved towards the borders of perception, as if it was a means of communication with the beyond. The quadrophonic staging of Materia Obscura expands the performance space, where the horizontal flow of time meets with the sonic impulse and creates a vertical dimension, in which premonition, memory and splinters of Here and Now become perceptible as the darkening of the observed Materia.

Live Recording Amsterdam Paradiso 2010, 5:43 min:.

HD-Video Performance: Jürgen Reble
Audio Performance: Thomas Köner
Premiere: Leuven, Belgium, STUK 2009 (Titled Materia Nigra)
Estimated Length: 48 minutes

Announcement

A doorway to the world of dark and unperceivable materials, using Jürgen Reble’s 25,000 scans of 16 mm chemograms. A visual expedition into crystalized salts and dyes, showing the bizarre richness and beauty of film’s materiality. The quadraphonic staging of Materia Obscura expands the performance space, where the horizontal flow of time meets the sonic impulse. Thomas Köner’s music floats at the borders of perception, as if it is a means of communicating with the beyond. (Website Text Sonic Acts XIII 2010)

History / Selection of Events

2009.02.10 - Leuven, Belgium, STUK
2009.09.24 - Zagreb, 25 fps Festival
2010.02.03 - Berlin Transmediale
2010.02.25 - Amsterdam Paradiso, Sonic Acts XIII
2010.06.18 - Riga, RIXC Media Space
2011.01.22 - Bologna Netmage 11
2011.10.13 - Montreal FNC, CinemaSpace
2011.11.30 - Rio de Janeiro Multiplicidade
2013.10.16 - Marseille RISC
2014.05.24 - Seoul, Museum of Contemporary Arts
2014.09.26 - Karlstad, Sweden, AvantFilm