Jana Haimsohn

1979

Video, 01:02:21.
Materials: Video

Collection: Collection M HKA, Antwerp / Collection Flemish Community.

At the Internationaal Cultureel Centrum, one could sense an atmosphere that welcomed artists to present work steeped in experimentation, without limiting expectations and requirements. Respect for the exploratory process was palpable. For the most part, there seemed to be a willingness to travel with the artist on a road of
investigation, to respectfully and thoughtfully consider what came forth, whether refined, or instead rough as it developed by the moment.

As I watch the 1979 video, decades later, I see that this work unfolded very slowly in real time. Mostly it was formless, gradually building and almost totally improvisational,
except with the inclusion of a few vocal passages which appear to have been familiar territory around which to play anew, (vocal-sound patterns, and go-go-bell with voice). A section with finger clicking and percussive boots on the floor and the interplay ofp movement with sound took amorphous shape on its own.

Often my eyes were closed, which suggests that this was akin to a private, (often latenight) work session in my NY studio. However, this time I was sharing the night’s journey with the ICC community.

The opportunity that the ICC offered artists to dive into precarious and mysterious tides of creative practice without guarantees or established expectations was critical. That’s where surprises and new discoveries are sometimes born.

Thank you for your openness.

With respect,
Jana Haimsohn