Jakob Gruhl, Structure of Myself

The video work "Structure of Myself" and everything else were recorded with Jakob Gruhl by Gvoon Arthur Schmidt in the night of October 2 to 3, 2023 from 23:50 to 00:10 at a different location. The day of the recording was the Day of German Unity.

An interactive installation by Ectoplastic from Halle was used to generate sound by analyzing movement without contact and observing the inside of the entire cell. The interaction within the overall system with the actor's breath and the resulting generation processes were used to trigger and control the resulting noises and sound structures. The entire sound audible in the video work was not post-processed.

This black padded cell designed and built by the Stasi, which was designated by the GDR State Security as a reassurance holding room, exists far down in reality as a real one Room 2 in the Kellergeschoss of Nordflügels (cell block) of the former zentralen Untersuchungshaftanstalt (UHA) of the Ministry of State Security (MfS) of  the German Democratic Republic (GDR), today's Memorial in Berlin-Hohenschönhausen.

The Stasi's black rubber cell serves as a space in the "Inside" project as a kind of metaphor for all the other spaces in the world that have been turned into places, into which people are brought into an exceptional situation, determined by unscrupulous others, in which those affected are left to fend for themselves are provided,,,

All works on the project "Inside" by Gvoon (Global Visions of other Natures) from the interior of a black rubber cell of the Stasi, which Arthur Schmidt transferred to another location completely identical to the original in the actively operated state of 1981, the year of meticulously rebuilt from his own imprisonment, is part of coming to terms with his own experiences and dealing with people's empathetic behavior.

Inside is in no way determined by others and is only determined by the inside of the person who has been brought here.

At this point I could write a lot about the collaboration with this person Jakob Gruhl and his partner Stephan Kloß from Halle. But that would go way beyond the scope here. That's why I'll limit myself to the essentials here. I met these two almost two years ago when I called them up and asked if I could have their software because I'm too old to build again what I had built myself 20 years ago. because it would be easier for me to use their software, especially since it can do a lot more than my own experiments at the time. You asked, what exactly is it for? Well, I told them that I had built a black padded cell and wanted to do something with it. I have to say that they are both 30 years younger than me. After initial discussions, I went to their lab in Halle to take a look at everything and was, how should I say, quite impressed. I also somehow found myself thinking in both of them. Then they came to the factory hall where I set up the black padded cell and installed everything imaginable and a lot more that I needed or thought I needed to work. Far more than I really understood. After a few days, shortly before her departure, Jakob put himself in the cell,,, I actually just had a feeling, more like a gut feeling, that someone from a completely different generation than myself was standing there and what feels, what it's really about at its core. That didn't let me go after that, for almost two years after that. After that I had contact with them again a few times.

Two months ago I was in Berlin when the two of them wrote to me saying they were having a performance in Berlin. More precisely, the Jakob Gruhl together with Tomoko Nakasato and Sounds from Schneider TM abroad as a venue under the title "Take of Sound". I then watched it twice and heard it, what can I say, that really impressed me. Everything that and how it came about. I then quickly suggested to the two of them that they might come over to my place again, as a lot had happened in the meantime, as I was now experimenting with some of the video recordings I had made, with everything as I imagined it. During the two years I started building musical instruments myself and experimented a lot with images, sounds, software and other things. I also made the first video recordings of myself for myself. Certainly also because it's all something very personal and sometimes I don't know beforehand what will happen. Maybe I don't want to know because I'm looking for something else with this complex topic. However, some of what I want to do, what I feel, that's very clear. At first I tried to find out what it was like to have someone there, here when I started working, in the cell. Take pictures of what is created. Is it even possible to let yourself go when someone is there? This works if it's someone you think you know and trust. Jacob accompanied everything with the entire system of the two of them generating sound, in addition to all the conversations with each other. Somehow it all worked out. As an old man, I can only talk about the past, but there are a lot of overlaps in my thinking. At this point I would rather not write about the whole technology, as it is of secondary importance. The work, the result that can be seen here, was created at the end of our meeting on the last day. I asked Jakob if he could imagine that maybe one day he would be alone in the black padded cell and not me. To put yourself in the situation. Then it's actually up to him to decide what he does. I actually just sat there and watched everything happen and what happened to me. Afterwards I was just speechless at what was created and how it was created. It all just happened,,,

This is all very complex and comprehensive, at least for me. Looking for something,,, On the one hand, I'm concerned with something very sensual, with things like boredom, the self-talk that arises, what happens in the head while waiting, what is present in oneself, the sensations that arise, etc many other things. On the other hand, it is important, at least for me, that the tones and noises that arise have a connection to what it all is. Everything comes into being at the moment it comes into being. It is more than secondary whether it sounds nice or looks good, everything should be the way it was created and you feel it in the moment. That is very different. Whatever it is. The technology involved, whether it is very complex or rather simple, is all of secondary importance in these works. I often feel like a lot of what you've done in your life now comes together and overlaps. I often remember previous projects and collaborations with musicians, working on painted images, or experiments with various media. But to be honest, I don't really think about it much when I'm actually doing it.

The whole situation surrounding the recording, the timing, everything possible, was ultimately a more than coincidental event. Significantly, everything took place on the night of October 3rd, the day of German unity.

Visit Youtube directly for more and other video works created or take a look at all the works createdt so far for the "Inside" project here,,,

The “Inside” project is supervised by GMO - The Label.