Aandacht
Philipp Hawlitschek
2018
This small artificial pond is one of the most poetic places in Het Klankenbos. It is surrounded with bamboo and has a tree right in the middle. But there is something unusual about this place: as a subtle manipulation of the existing situation, sound artist Philipp Hawlitschek has induced a constant motion into one of the surrounding plants.
A gentle swaying, back and forth, like an inaudible oscillation or the pendulum of a very slow clock, attracts our attention the same way our eyes adjust themselves to a dark room. The work doesn’t aim to be our sole focus of contemplation, but rather intends for all perceptions, sensory or atmospheric, to be included in its presence. The Dutch word ‘aandacht’ translates as attention; a similar word in German is used to express a sense of concentration, commitment or devotion.
Philipp Hawlitschek (DE) is an artist focusing on spatial and time-related sound installations that strive to develop a poetic situation through a subtle transformation of space. Generally, no loudspeakers are brought into play: the works use mechanical processes based on tangible materiality. The works are often highly fragile and reward the attentive visitor.
This installation was developed as the result of the Klankenbos residency with ‘sound art’ students from the Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar (HBK Saar) led by Andreas Oldörp. A temporary prototype was exhibited in the Summer of 2017 before the current, permanent version was created. With the support of C-Takt platform for the arts.