anti-reflex

If I were a jet setter I would already be on my way to Frankfurt (Main) airport, jump out of the plane and hop right over to the Kunsthalle Schirn. What's the hurry? you ask. A show just opened with the short and poignant title anti-reflex. It features the work of young artist/musician Carsten Nicolai. I have to admit this is the first time I heard his name. The little I saw (and heard)of his works in the last few days makes me very curious to see more. Since I don't know really anything about Nicolai I simply quote the press release courtesy of the e-flux mailing service I had reported on earlier.


'Kerne', 1998, Courtesy Galerie EIGEN + ART Leipzig/Berlin.

Actually, before I start quoting I want to make sure you know that there is a web site specifically designed and launched to promote the show: http://www.antireflex.de Be prepared to crank up your sound and have your steering mouse ready to roll. The animated graphics of the intro are simple, bold, and powerful with a great soundtrack to boot. It takes a little trial and error to figure out the controls but this is certainly fun and a great extension to the show itself. I should also mention that Nicolai has been a key figure in the composition and production of minimalistic electronic music featured on another web site worth your visit: http://www.raster-noton.de/

Now let's get back to the well written and informative press release....

Carsten Nicolai is presently considered to be one of the most important representatives of a generation of artists who are purposefully exploring the points of intersection between art, nature, and science. As a cross-border visual artist, researcher, musician, and producer combined in one person, Nicolai seeks to overcome the division among the senses in human perception and to make it possible to experience scientific phenomena like the frequencies of sound and light or electromagnetic fields with the eyes as well as by hearing and touch. His installations radiate a minimalist aesthetics that captivates visitors with its elegance, simplicity, and emphasis on technology. Following his participation in important international exhibitions like the Kassel documenta and the Venice Biennial, the Schirn presents the first major survey, for which the artist, born in Chemnitz in 1965, will produce a series of new works.

The exhibition in the Schirn confronts two spaces: "reflex" and "anti." While one room is light, the other is almost dark.

Read the whole thing here. And let us know if you made it to show and if it's really as good as it appears to be on the web.