Godenschemering II
A 1985 project by Horst Rickels and Elvira Wersche.
Installation view - photo Jan Sprij
Godenschemering II (Götterdämmerung or Twilight of the Gods) by Horst Rickels and Elvira Wersche consisted of organpipes, tubes, glasfragments, light defractions. This installation was made of glasfragments arranged into objects on the walls and floor, as well as an extended organ - where the organ pipes were connected via tubes to a central operating 'keyboard.'
The project originated from the earlier soundinstallation De 12 Apostelen by Horst Rickels. In collaboration with Elvira Wersche, Godenschemering II was conceived as a Gesamtkunstwerk. The work was built through the previous week, and everything gained symbolic character. The projectweek of April 29 to May 4 was declared the "Week of Murmur" - contrasting the "The Year of Music 1985," with May 1 being a special day - for both celebrating Labor Day and the birthday of the futurism's founder and composer Luigi Russolo - since it was futurism that shifted the boundary from music to sound. Labor Day was then made into a "Day of Prayer for Croaking."
As Gesamtkunstwerk, the artists used the architecture, and prepared the light and sound in such a way in the space that the audience became a conscious part of the experience, and interpretation of the work. It was the intention to coordinate the incoming light and spatial sounds (of the architecture) in a way that the audience has to listen more or less actively, which stands in contrast to the architectural principles behind the light and acoustics of the recently restaured St Jan cathedral, which was dedicated to submission, devotion and surrender.
On May 4, Godenschemering Nr.2 was concluded with a performance during the total moon eclipse.
note: See also the attached article/interview from Brabands Dagblad by Willem van Zandbeek (in dutch).
