VERDENSRUM IV, Japan: Landscape/Portrait
Stills
Travel notes. Kôyasan, Japan april 2012
”... The Okuno-in cemetery, Kôyasan mountain and the surrounds left a lasting impression on me. The 800-year-old, super tall cedars; the rice paper lamps, that glowed in the dark; the water tanks, we washed our hands and mouths in as we moved gradually closer to the sacred areas; and finally Kobo Daishis’ resting place behind a screen with cedars in the background and guilded lotus leaves in the foreground. Very atmospheric ... The rice paper-covered sliding doors shimmered with a mysterious light that had no obvious source and no breeze to explain the shimmering. The entire scene filled me with peace - almost like a foretaste of the "Ryôkai " that was maybe waiting...”
Verdensrum IV, Japan: Landscape/Portrai is inspired by a Japanese mandala ritual practiced by the monks of the Kōyasan mountains and the characteristic Japanese landscapes associated with the ritual. Furthermore it draws on the power filled Japanese form of expressive dance – butoh - and the sound of the shakuhachi flute.
The physical arrangement of this cinematic work is reminiscent of the tableaux found in Japanese temples. It consists of three parallel 3D-projections, which variously alternate and play together (contrasted by butoh of Kinya Tsuruyama and Sayoko Onishi).
The viewer is led through an abstract mountain landscape shrouded in mist and then guided along labyrinthine routes surrounded by magical landscapes and Buddhas – in this instance the Buddhas come in the form of a modern businessman and a trendy urban woman. Upon arrival at the center of the maze the Buddha appears on the middle screen carrying out/performing traditional gesticulation (mudras) - symbolically mixing the two mandaras. It all culminates in photo-realistic scenes from the Kumano River and the Pacific Ocean – shrouded in fog and mist.
Year of production: 2017
Running time: 45 minutes
Idea, images and Animations: Birgit Kjærsgaard
Sound Track: Jørgen Teller and Shinichi Watanabe
Businessman: Kinya Tsuruyama
Urban woman: Sayoko Onishi
Dramatic Consultant: Willie Flindt
Technical consultant: Ernst Kallesøe
Computer technical consultant: CAVI, Center of Advanzed Visualization and Interaction, University of Aarhus, DK
Open Stage, Aarhus 6th December 2017
WITHIN THE PROGRAM OF AARHUS 2017 AND THE JAPANESE EMBASSY IN DENMARKS PROGRAM FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE 150-YEARS ANNIVERSARY FOR JAPANESE/DANISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS.
A trans c/o Architektur Gallerie Berlin, Berlin, DE, 13. 1. – 10. 2. 2018
Gallery Hakusen, Asagaya, Tokyo, JP, 19. 5. – 2. 6. 2018
Biffen, Odder, DK and Kombi, Hornslet, DK, 2019
WITHIN THE EUROPEAN CULTURAL REGION CULTURAL FESTIVAL 2019
Supported by: The Danish Art Foundation, The EU Japan Fest Committee, The Art Council in Aarhus, SITNI SATI, THINKBOX, CAVI, Center of Advanced Visualization and Interaction, University of Aarhus.
VERDENSRUM III, India: Mandala/Metropolis
VERDENSRUM III, India: Mandala/Metropolis” is a meditation on golden mandalas and modern cityscapes, accompanied by the sound of tablas. In the beginning one sees the universe. A star (dot) becomes a Buddhist mandala. The mandala figure turns and on its top a city (a New York icon) rises. The city turns and a Hinduist mandala appears. One enters the mandala and its patterns start to change - becoming more and more complex as one gets closer to the center of the mandala. The film turns and one is slowly brought out of the mandala. By the end the mandala figure crumples and disappears.
Birgit Kjærsgaard
Year of production: 2010
Running time: 15 minutes
Idea and Animation: Birgit Kjærsgaard
Sound Track: Jørgen Teller
Dramatic Consultant: Willie Flindt
Technical consultant: Ernst Kallesøe
Computer technical consultants: CAVI, Center of Advanzed Visualization and Interaction, University of Aarhus, DK
Exhibitions:
A trans Pavilion, Berlin, DE, 2010, curated by Isolde Nagel
WITHIN 4TH EUROPEAN MONTH OF PHOTOGRAPHY BERLIN 2010
Pakhus 64, Aarhus, DK, 2013
Aarhus School of Architecture, Aarhus, DK, 2014
Nicolai, Kolding, DK, 2014
Biffen, Odder, 2020 and Kombi, Hornslet, 2020
Supported by: Danish Art Foundation, Danish National Banks Jubilefoundation, City of Aarhus, CAVI, TECHNE and UMA.
VERDENSRUM II, China: Lattice/Mist
VERDENSRUM II, China : Lattice/Mist is a meditation on red Chinese characters and yellow, geometric lattice with temple-gong music. Initially one sees some Chinese characters. They develop into patterns and a cylinder getting closer. Suddenly the beholder is inside the cylinder. Patterns change and become more complex, until the movie turns backward, and one is slowly brought out of the cylinder and back to one of the Chinese characters, gradually disappearing in the mist.
Birgit Kjærsgaard
Year of production: 2008
Running time: 15 minutes
Idea and Animation: Birgit Kjærsgaard
Sound Track: Jørgen Teller
Dramatic Consultant: Willie Flindt
Technical consultant: Ernst Kallesøe
Computer technical consultants: CAVI, Center of Advanzed Visualization and Interaction, University of Aarhus, DK
Exhibitions:
Charlottenborgs Spring Exhibition 2008, curated by Karim Rashid, NYC
A trans Pavilion, Berlin, DE, 2010, curated by Isolde Nagel
WITHIN 4TH EUROPEAN MONTH OF PHOTOGRAPHY BERLIN 2010
Pakhus 64, Aarhus, DK, 2013
Nicolai, Kolding, DK, 2014
Biffen, Odder, 2020 and Kombi, Hornslet, 2020
Supported by: Danish Art Foundation, Danish National Banks Jubilefoundation, City of Aarhus, CAVI, TECHNE and UMA.
Links
CHARLOTTENBORG SPRING EXHIBITION 2008. Review by Torben Sangild, Politiken (in Danish)
....."Der er mere teknologisk retro at finde i Søren Bjørns malede kassettebånd og ikke mindst hos Birgit Kjærsgaard, der har genoplivet 3D-brillerne – de dér plasticbriller med røde og blå glas, som man forsøgte at lancere i biograferne i 1950’erne. Men i hendes 3D-film er det ikke monstre og tog der kører imod én. Det er en abstrakt-arkitektonisk meditation over røde, kinesiske skrifttegn og grønt geometrisk fletværk med tempel-gong-musik af Jørgen Teller. Selv om det ind imellem gør næsten ondt i de forvirrede øjne, er det en smuk og uhyre velproduceret installation, omgivet af den humor og sociale dialog, der ofte vil opstå, når folk skal iføre sig de fjollede briller....
Uddrag fra Politiken
VERDENSRUM I, Arab: Mosaic/Rain
VERDENSRUM I, Arab : Mosaic/Rain” is a meditation on Turkish, Arabic mosaics, accompanied by the sound of a drop. Initially one sees a “dot”. It develops into a geometric pattern and an octagon. The beholder enters the octagon. Patterns change and become more complex, until the film turns, and one is slowly brought out of the octagon and back to the “dot”, which transforms into a drop turning into rain.
Birgit Kjærsgaard
Year of production: 2008
Running time: 15 minutes
Idea and Animation: Birgit Kjærsgaard
Sound Track: Jørgen Teller
Dramatic Consultant: Willie Flindt
Technical consultant: Ernst Kallesøe
Computer technical consultants: CAVI, Center of Advanzed Visualization and Interaction, University of Aarhus, DK
Exhibitions:
Images of The Middle East festival, Aarhus, DK, 2006
The International Digital Festival, Aarhus, DK, 2006
A trans Pavilion, Berlin, DE, 2010, curated by Isolde Nagel
WITHIN 4TH EUROPEAN MONTH OF PHOTOGRAPHY BERLIN 2010
Pakhus 64, Aarhus, DK, 2013
Nicolai, Kolding, DK, 2014
Biffen, Odder, 2020 and Kombi, Hornslet, 2020
Supported by: Danish Art Foundation, Danish National Banks Jubilefoundation, City of Aarhus, CAVI, TECHNE and UMA.