Trembling Antennae for Henning Christiansen

Trembling Antennae for Henning Christiansen

1st exhibition: Kunsthal 44 Møen, Denmark, June 2013

commissioned for the group exhibition “The Hammer Without a Master: Henning Christiansen’s Archive”, curated by Chiara Giovando

Twelve electric motors are attached to the speaker outputs of audio amplifiers, so that the motors shake and quiver in relation to the audio signals transmitted into them. Attached to the motors are twisted metal wires resembling antennae. Each “antenna” has bell(s) and/or a small object hanging from it. Each object relates to a specific theme or symbol in Henning’s work.

The motors are mounted onto wooden shelves, which act as sound diaphragms, so that the audio signals and trembling sounds of the motors are reproduced and amplified into the exhibition space.

The audio recordings transmitted into the motors are excerpts from Henning’s solo and collaborative projects released as LPs and CDs, including Abschiedssymphonie, Dust Out of Brain, Hulemaned, Schafe Statt Geige, Schottische Symphonie, Stone Song, Sulemaned, Symphony Natura, and Vogel Symphonie.

©Gordon Monahan 2013