Der Lauf Der Dinge (Le cours des choses), 1986 - 1987

PAL, sound, colour


With Der Lauf der Dinge, the course of events is conceived in terms of material phenomena, the history of sculpture, mediation through film or video and relationships to culture and art's infrastructures.

This ephemeral installation is built along a structured pathway that is primed with physical principles (static balance, weight, etc) and chemical substances: these are latent with their explosive potential when shaken together. The properties of air (inflated balloons to burst), water (containers to knock over) and fire (burning candles) are also brought into play. Space and time are co-ordinated precisely and cleverly – the process of twisting a strung-up plastic bin-bag sets off a long series of slapstick catastrophes (falls, propulsion, etc.). Spectators are fascinated as the causes and effects of this chaos, as well as its processes and materials, are revealed. This explicit construction underlines a scientific approach to the world and creates the metaphor of a world explored.

The installation uses procedures and materials that are a distillation of many 20th century sculptural conceptions. These include suspension (constructivism), assembly (sculpture from 1945-50), the movement (kinetic art), accumulation and use of salvaged materials (New Realism and Pop Art). Added to this is the idea of an energy inherent to materials (Carl Andre), and the use of mundane, every day objects (Marcel Duchamp).

The interposed film medium doesn't fully reflect the reality of the installation; it is distinct from what is perceived directly. The pathways of knowledge in a mass communication society have an implied relationship with 'mediator' artefacts. A reflection on the movement of an ephemeral phenomenon in culture and of a work in the infrastructures of art is part of the post-modern conception of a work of art.

Thérèse Beyler