BLUE-Trilogy

The BLUE-Trilogy consisted of three concerts held annually in mid-September over a period of three years (2000 – 2002), each lasting 36 hours. The concerts in 2000 and 2002 took place at the Blaue Saal of the Löwenbräuareal in Zurich, the concert in 2001 at the Forum Claque in Baden.

MOBILE and the artists involved created an integral composition based on the music, the form of the circle (360° = 36 hours), the architecture of the respective venues and the natural cycles (sunlight and moon cycles). These elements formed a densely textured ritual, thus integrating the perception of time and space into a pulsating entity.

The three-day compositions AREA BLUE, AQUA BLUE, MU BLUE, united natural and artificial, respectively „artistic“ cycles. The circle served as a formal basis for the temporal structure: 36° equal 36 hours. The musicians played in a circle of sand arranged according to the four points of the compass. A time-indicator moved around this circle counting the 36 hours. This indicator showed the momentary time of the ritual as well as the correlating direction (for instance the beginning on Friday at 6pm was equivalent to North).

This circular grid supplied the first structure of this multimedia composition. The second structure was formed by the natural cycles: solar- and lunar phases and the resulting play of light in the hall. A swordsman, who cyclically performed his Iaido-exercises (Japanese art of swordsmanship), was aligned with the lunar phases.

During the 36 hours there was always at least one musician in the circle – playing improvisations and instant compositions based on the material of the main concerts. There were three through-composed 90-minute concerts, and four Iaido-performances that were accompanied by music. Videos and shadow plays of the swordsman were projected on to specially set up screens so that he could fight - and defeat - his own shadow or his own “self”.

The music, the art of swordsmanship, the architecture, the video projection and the light – all contributed to the integral composition governed by a balance between its strictly determined and free parts. Through its presence the audience also became an element of the whole cycle. The guests could decide themselves how long they wanted to stay in the room - 36 hours or just one minute. Some hung out for a few seconds, others enjoyed several hours of the trilogy spiral spread over a period of three years. One saw and listened to it all.

participating artists:
Nik Baertsch: concept, production, prepared piano, percussion
oos (Lukas Bosshard, Andreas Derrer, Christoph Kellenberger, Severin Boser): architecture, design, production
Ania Losinger: xala
Mats Eser: marimba, percussion
Kaspar Rast: drums
Don Li: bcl, as, percussion (AREA BLUE, AQUA BLUE)
Raffael Camenisch: reeds (MU BLUE)
Martin Krahl: Iaido (martial arts)
Trix Barmettler: videos
Gioia Scanzi: light design
René Odermatt: götzen, icesculpture, artwork