Until August 23rd 2019, DEEP WEB will be a monumental, immersive audiovisual installation to be experienced at Kraftwerk Berlin. In the collaboration of light artist Christopher Bauder and musician and composer Robert Henke, 175 spheres, illuminated by colour-intensive lasers, move in synchronous choreography to form a multi-channel composition. The result is a visually impressive analogy (30 x 20 x 10 m) to digital networks with their nodes and endless connections.
Performances with both artists will take place on Thursday, July 25th and Friday, July 26th 2019. The performances will take place in real time. None is the same as the other.
Image above: DEEP WEB, Christopher Bauder + Robert Henke, Photo Ralph Larmann
Embedded in the spectacular industrial architecture of the KRAFTWERK BERLIN, DEEP WEB creates a unique spatial experience: visitors are immersed in a gigantic amorphous sculpture of animated light lines and multidimensional sounds – the luminous patterns of early digital communication become a fascinating sensory experience.
Last year, Christopher Bauder already impressed visitors with his installation “Skalar” and showed that such an installation can bring everyone together: From Berlin club kids to art-loving Berlin visitors to families with children (there are also extra family tickets).
An exclusive pleasure: until now DEEP WEB has only twice been open to the public for a short time. The premiere at the KRAFTWERK BERLIN as part of the CTM Festival 2016 quickly became a highlight and insider tip among the visitors. In December of the same year DEEP WEB inspired the visitors of the Fête des Lumières in Lyon. In the summer of 2019, this elaborate work will return to its place of origin: for six weeks it will be accessible to a wider audience for the first time.
During the exhibition period (12.07.- 23.08.2019) DEEP WEB will be available daily as an installation. In addition, a special highlight will be extended live performances with Christopher Bauder and Robert Henke, in which the two artists will exploit the full potential of the installation to explore new dimensions of DEEP WEB.
But DEEP WEB in the truest sense of the word cannot be grasped: The space created by the installation consists only of light – and can still be experienced in real terms. The 175 motorised spheres combine with 12 high-performance laser systems to form an architectural superstructure 30 metres long, 20 metres wide and 10 metres high. The light lines and reflection points create a visually impressive analogy to digital networks with their nodes and endless connections. The spheres move in synchronous choreography to the multi-channel composition by Robert Henke, whereby they are illuminated by colour-intensive lasers.
The paths of the illuminated spheres draw architectural light sculptures and kinetic arrangements into the sweeping darkness of the KRAFTWERK BERLIN: a structure is created in constant change, networks form anew and dissolve again. DEEP WEB remains fleeting and always in motion, a vision that takes on real form for brief moments.
The existence of DEEP WEB is the result of many years of research and artistic experimentation by two artists with their own vision and unmistakable passion for sound and light. In addition, innovative technology companies working in these fields were involved in the realisation of Vision DEEP WEB: The Berlin-based company LaserAnimation SOLLINGER, which specializes in high-end lasers, provided the technical expertise and helped implement the special, space-filling laser concept. The motor winch system and the control software were developed by the WHITEvoid design studio with support from KINETIC LIGHTS.
CHRISTOPHER BAUDER
The artist and designer Christopher Bauder combines in his work the fields of light and installation art, media design and scenography. He concentrates on the reciprocal translation of digital spaces into tangible objects and tangible spatial stagings.
Space, object, sound, light and interaction are key elements of his work. In 2004 he founded the multidisciplinary art and design studio WHITEvoid, which specializes in interactive media design, interior design and electronic engineering.
Bauer’s installations and performances have already been shown at events and in exhibition spaces worldwide, including the Centre Pompidou Paris, MUTEK Montreal, the Jewish Museum Berlin, the Chinese National Opera in Beijing, and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. He received international attention for his monumental light art installation “Lichtgrenze”, which he realized together with his brother Marc in 2014 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. In February 2018, almost 50,000 visitors saw his monumental installation SKALAR at the KRAFTWERK BERLIN.
ROBERT HENKE
In addition to his numerous publications under the name Monolake, Robert Henke is known for music, audiovisual installations and performances, which he has been presenting under his own name since the early 1990s. A strong background in technology and engineering and his fascination for the beauty of technical objects led Henke to make the development of his own instruments and algorithms an integral part of his creative work.
Henke is co-developer of the music software Ableton Live, which since its invention in 1999 has become a standard tool for electronic music production and has revolutionized the practice of live performance. Henke’s love of music and programming is a constant source of new challenges.
His installations and performances have been shown at the Tate Modern London, the Centre Pompidou Paris, PS-1 New York, MUDAM Luxembourg, MAK Vienna, the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Australia, KW Institute for Contemporary Art Berlin and at countless festivals.
WHEN?
July 12th to August 23rd 2019 (Installation)
PERFORMANCES:
DEEP WEB | LIVE Performance | Thursday, July 25th 2019 | 7 + 9:30 pm
DEEP WEB | LIVE Performance | Friday, July 26th 2019 | 8 + 10:30 pm
WHERE?
KRAFTWERK BERLIN, Köpenicker Straße 70, 10179 Berlin-Mitte
