Nagl ~ Wintersberger: Kugelkopf ext.3: Tracking Philae
Performative sculpture
A sphere describes a mathematical ideal that does not appear in nature in its perfect shape. Planets have approximately a spherical shape and describe a physical system moving through four-dimensional spacetime on trajectories defined by the laws of physics.
The trajectories of the system „Kugelkopf“ are characterized by sculptural and artistic principles. In that sense the system „Kugelkopf“ embeds the nature of a geometrical object in three-dimensional space and that of a sculpture and a character.
Performative Sculpture or Sculptural Performance?
The linear architectural structures and grid shaped areas of our urban public spaces give a strong portrait of present social power relationships. The spherical shape of the “Kugelköpfe” breaks intendedly these structures and as spherical sculptures, the “Kugelköpfe” shift the linearity of architectural spaces and of known axes of vision. The “Kugelköpfe” appear in an unexpected way, immerse in the events around them and are dialoguing with the surrounding environment. They disperse the ordinariness of the scenes and the monotonicity of the eye of the pedestrians.
A sphere is defined by the set of all points in three-dimensional space with a fixed distance r from a central point x.
GENESIS OF THE PROJECT
Starting point of the working series “Tracking Philae” is the project “Pathfinder”, an artistic research about the topics body, space and surface (1994 - 1998). It was shown at European Cultural Month Linz in the exhibition “Natürlich Künstlich” at OK Linz in 1998. The title “Pathfinder” refers to the NASA robot probe Pathfinder, that sent the first pictures of the surface of Mars to Earth in 1998. Due to the new possibilities of technology allowing panoramic views inside and outside close and far, visionary measurement and calculation of reality man´s idea of the world shifted towards virtuality.
A lot of artistic research evolves the question of the own body - as it was the base of the work “Pathfinder” - and the planet of Mars as an unknown sphere establishing an intense visual aesthetic study looking for a poetic translation in forms of the Arts. In a next step “Pathfinder” was rendered in three-dimensionality in form of "Bodybox", a geometric processing and bonding of Markus Wintersberger´s body to a walk-in container.
The idea of sculpture continued in the series “Kugelkopf”. This big “ball” reactivated the three-dimensional surface of the head and brings back the image of the planet. In close cooperation with the dancer/performer/choreographer and pedagogue Andrea Nagl the “Kugelkopf” was developed further into an animated sculpture. On the one hand the “head” serves as a costume on the other hand the dancer serves the sculpture to become alive. Space and time are re-introduced by performing the sculpture.
Within the framework of “Raw Matters. Large and Long” in mo.e Ausstellungsraum Wien, “Kugelkopf ext.3: Tracking Philae” (2014) and of “European Researcher´s Night - F.I.T. for Future” in “Aula der Wissenschaften Wien”, the performative intervention “Kugelkopf ext.3ⁿ: Tracking Philae” (2015) was expanded to a trio.
The three dancers are associated with a poetic translation of science as movement of body and mind as universal dance of bodies in space. Appearing and fading away like meteorites they mingle with the audience bringing to life the static sculpture. The three spherical heads, like collages covered with a human face, thus remember the everlasting traces man’s quest for himself and his role in the universe.
Nagl ~ Wintersberger 2016
DETAILS AND HISTORY OF THE PERFORMANCE:
Kugelkopf ext.3: Tracking Philae Performative sculpture Concept Kugelkopf: Nagl ~ Wintersberger Concept Performance: Andrea Nagl Performance: Andrea Nagl, Julia Schlager, Carla Schuler Nagl ~ Wintersberger mo.e Vienna, 2014 Raw Matters. Large and Long
More at: https://andreanagl.wordpress.com/2014/12/27/kugelkopf-ext-3-tracking-philae Video Documentation - vimeo: https://vimeo.com/119268081
Kugelkopf ext.3ⁿ: Tracking Philae Science Performance – performative Skulptur EUROPEAN RESEARCHERS’ NIGHT 2015 – F.I.T. for Future! In cooperation with the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences Concept Kugelkopf: Nagl ~ Wintersberger Concept Performance: Andrea Nagl Performance: Andrea Nagl, Julia Schlager, Carla Schuler Nagl ~ Wintersberger „Aula der Wissenschaften“, Wollzeile 27a, 1010 Wien, 2015
More at: https://andreanagl.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/kugelkopf-ext-3%E2%81%BF-tracking-philae
Pathfinder Digital Image 1994 Photography, Animation, Video Concept: Markus Wintersberger Photo documentation: https://www.flickr.com/photos/markuswintersberger/albums/72157630175065632
The Bodybox. Sculpture in motion Installation 1998 Truck, Container, Animation, Video, Performance, Photography Concept: Markus Wintersberger Photo documentation: https://www.flickr.com/photos/markuswintersberger/albums/72157630178864732 Images courtesy of Andrea Nagl & Markus Wintersberger
Andrea Nagl (*1975) lives in Vienna and works as a freelance contemporary dancer, teacher and choreographer as well as a cranial works practitioner (education with Kathrin Kleindorfer), further education in Ortho Bionomy. Education in dance with focus on contemporary dance emphasizing somatic approaches in Vienna, Munich, Cologne and NY. Studies of communication studies and dramatics at the University Vienna. She has collaborated in dance among others with Editta Braun, Elio Gervasi, Silvia Both, Anna Schrefl, Benoit Lachambre, Tanz*Hotel/Bert Gstettner and spent ten years with Compagnie Smafu/Elisabeth Orlowsky. From 2006/07 she cooperated with Markus Wintersberger (intermedia dance performances, intervention in public space, performative sculptures); she engaged in intensive analysis of the medium of video, the integration of video projections and video stage images in her own work. She is interested in exploring the possibilities of free improvisation and instant composition in relation to the respective spatial circumstances (among others together with Iris Kübler/Akkordeon: Campanula, Thomas Wagensommerer, Hui Ye / AV performance, Verena Zeiner/piano). Current project topics circle around nature-destruction, human-create-machine, memory-brain-identity. She teaches contemporary/release and release ballet in professional trainings as well as to laypeople. More about Andrea at: https://andreanagl.wordpress.com
Markus Wintersberger - born in 1968 in Krems, Lower Austria. 1987 - 1995 studied at the University of Applied Arts Vienna under Prof. Bernhard Leitner. Has worked since 1995 as a freelance artist in the fields of media art and experimental media. Markus Wintersberger has occupied various teaching positions at Austrian art institutions since 1996. 1996 - 2005 Lecturer at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, Institute for Media Art. 1999 - 2001 Head of Media Technology at the University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten. 2005 - 2008 Lecturer at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, Institute for Art and Communication Practices. 2006 - 2008 Lecturer at the University of Fine Arts Vienna, Institute for Arts and Education. 2006 Cooperation with the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in opera direction and set design. Since 2007 FH Professor of Experimental Media at the University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten. In mid-2004, Markus Wintersberger founded the media art label medienwerkstatt006 based in Vienna and Lower Austria. In 2008 he was the artistic director of the “Tanz Medien Akademie” Weimar at the Festival Pèlerinages under the overall direction of Nike Wagner. In 2009 he received the award for mixed media art sponsored by the province of Lower Austria. In 2013 together with the Viennese media art group “Media Apparat” Markus Wintersberger was the winner of the international video mapping festival “Genius Loci Weimar” with the work “Ana.Digital”. The project “Ana.Digital” was awarded the Content Award Vienna 2013 by the urban development of Vienna. Markus Wintersberger works closely within other artistic disciplines: theater, dance, drama, new music, opera, multimedia and architecture. More about Markus at: http://www.medienwerkstatt006.at
Carla Schuler - born in 1991 in Dornbirn, Austria, freelance dancer and performer, completed her professional contemporary dance education at the Studio an der Wien in 2014. Dance training in Ballett and later contemporary dance since childhood in Dornbirn and Vienna. Dance cooperations a.o. with Nagl ~ Wintersberger ([måde] MORPH [maschine] / Viertelfestival NÖ 2014, Kugelkopf ext. 3: Tracking Philae / mo.e Vienna, 2014), Nora Ruszics (art campaign in public space for the exhibition of volunteers, MAK Vienna, 2014), Stephanie Cummings (Installation Shirley – Visions of Reality), Andi Haller (Zero Crash/Film), XTHESIS creative company (contemporary dance theatre for kids), member of KommUNImpro. Currently she is doing her Master´s degree in Physics in Vienna.
Julia Schlager - born 1993 in Oberpullendorf, lives in Vienna.












