The video performance shows a woman, who executes movements in an otherwise empty room; the choreography is shaped, to a large extent, by an acoustic event, the sound of her soles contacting the floor. The released tone is transformed by the artist into motion; the movement evokes the next tone, which causes another movement...


The title lapidary names the subject, which liberates the tone: "shoes" ("Schuhe") and refers to the minimalistic beginning of the video performance. Renate Kocer-Kowanz operates and improvises with audio and visual possibilities of video, by offering two different attractions within the homogeneous simultaneousness of picture and tone for the viewer. The tone operates on the boundary of pain and the movement mutates again and again into new forms and figures.

The developing dance of the ("beautiful") body longs to be pursued, the noise seems intolerable. Concepts of the aesthetics of sounds and pictures within the performance demand an examination of our habitual seeing and hearing. Aside the debate concerning sound and noise: Renate Kowanz-Kocer is naturally also a composer of music.

The video performance takes 30 minutes after which the artist rises from the field of action, defined by a coiled cable, as if rising from a ring. (Suess)

Exhibitions

Video Made in Austria, 1980

MMK Stiftung Ludwig, 20er Haus, Wien, Austria

Specifications

30min mono bw PAL

Technical protocol

U-Matic LB (recording, editing, master)

Produced together with

Camera: Karl Kowanz

Copyright

Renate Kowanz-Kocer

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