This Room

The foundation is to all appearances simple: a song, photographs, various views of a city. The montage of photos follows the music´s rhythm, and a graphic element, a colour is assigned to each musical development. The result is an exact translation of the song.

The music sets the still photos into motion, and the images - including cuts, a "pan" through a number of fades, the accentuation of certain spatial and architectural elements by means of colours and graphic shapes - correspond to the musical structure precisely. The song´s blueprint is revealed by the rhythm and manipulation of the visual elements: The musical structure becomes visible as a figurative element, and the viewer follows the soundtrack with his or her eyes. Even the text is taken literally:
"No matter what we say, no matter what we think, we will never leave this room. What are we going to do about this?" We never leave the interior spaces, the gaze is always directed outwards, framed by the windows. We become aware of the concrete urban surroundings at a distance and perceive them in relation to the music´s structure.

This Room is noteworthy because of its clarity and the preciseness of its construction. Contexts of meaning are brought into total synchronicity; the visual level translates the form, the dynamic and the "content" of the musical foundation. And in spite of its strictly formal and structural approach, this video work also responds to playful moments of the song. It is a game with structures, a creative combination of colour, form and music, a symbiotic interaction of sound and image.

(Barbara Pichler)

Translation: Steve Wilder