[ISEA2002] Artists Statement: Claudia Westermann & Sean Reed – btd x

Artists Statement

btd x is an experimental video composition -a study of the concept “model”. The artists worked with surface and space, playing with concepts of reality in three scenes. As an example of possible connections between sound and image, the artists had software at their disposal whose basis on physical modeling allowed sound to be constructed and a simultaneous visualization of this sound to be observed – a representation of the fundamentally responsible structures over time. This principle of sound and image production served as the impetus for the development of an artistic project which united both the elements of sound and image while presenting parameters for a creative process in which each element would only receive justification for its presence through its relationship to the other. The images to be seen and the sounds to be heard are the result of this virtually symbiotic process. A thematic complex was chosen to serve as a further structural principle: surface and space, layers and rows, the opposition of the artificial with an assumed reality. Detailed work with the physical models led to a questioning of the concept of reality, of framework models and of complexity. Although sound and image were subject to constant change by the influence of the other element, each of the elements tells its own story and is based on the biography of the individual.

Claudia WESTERMANN (image), Sean REED (audio)

Actors:
– a courtyard facade in Karlsruhe, Germany
– various architectural models on the scale of 1 :100
– line animations fmm the physical models created with the software

Genesis by the ACROE institute in Grenoble
– Nik Haffner (Frankfurt Ballet)

The work was created in August of 2000 at the Center for Art and Media Technology (ZKM) in Karlsruhe. Completion of the revised version October 2000.

  • Sean Reed: 1970, Maine, USA. Studies at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. In Germany since 1992. Composition studies with Manfred Stahnke in Hamburg. Compositions include acoustic, computer and interactive music. Reed’s work have been selected and performed in several competitions including the Cologne New Music Society’s Nachwuchsforum (CNM) with soloists of the Ensemble Modern (1998), within a collective composition at the Munich Biennale (2000), and at the CalArt. CEAlT Festival (2002). In 2001 Reed was a guest composer at the ZKM with a stipend and commission from the Arts Circle of the Bundesverband der deutschen Industrie.
  • Claudia Westermann: 1971, Heidelberg, Germany. Architecture studies in Karlsruhe, Tampere (Finland). Architect. Postgraduate studies in media art at the Karlsruhe College for Design. Works for sound and space, including involvement in realization of the Muzarc CD-ROM on music and architecture. Her City- four images was shown at the Venice Architecture Biennale (2000) within the “CittA Terzo Millenio”. Involvement with physical modeling for digital sound and image creation at the Karlsmhe Center for Art and Media-Technology (ZKM); creation here of the audio-visual work Widerhall/-shOwobles and btd x, which have been shown at several international festivals. Westermann belongs to the Syndicate mailing-list administration.