EXCHANGE – BACHLUTHER is an Australian/German audiovisual art project created for the 500th anniversary of the reformation / the Luther anniversary year 2017.
For thousands of years water has played an important role in religious symbolism. Used for cleansing and purification, water often represents life itself. In Baptism, we participate in an eternal offering that has no beginning or end, a virtue of faith that is infinite. Like the Son, The Father and the Holy Spirit, water has it’s own trio of mysterious properties. It can be ice, liquid or mist. Its crystalline structure allows it to take on beautiful patterned forms; a snowflake akin to an ornate church rose or the Lutheran symbol of the Trinity. Up close the molecule of water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen, both gasses- how does their combination create a third substance with such profound properties? Both religiously and scientifically, just one drop is an expanse of infinite magnitude and mystery. In the headphones you hear an infant being baptised. For a few moments while the baby is submerged, his future life plays out before us. This represents Luther’s belief in the denial of free will and allows us to ponder the question: is our life pre-determined?
CURRENTLY ON EXHIBITION:
Celebrating 500 year anniversary of Martin Luther and the reformation of the church, Berliner Dom Crypt, Berlin, Germany
Bachhaus Eisenach presents exhibition at Berliner Dom. The exhibition “Words: Luther & Music: Bach” focuses on Martin Luther’s song-poetry and its relevance for Johann Sebastian Bach’s oeuvre. This sixth display of Bachhaus Eisenach’s treasures at Berliner Dom is enriched by multi-media installations about Luther’s catechism that have been developed in cooperation with the University of Ansbach. Inspired by songs from Bach’s catechism compositions six artists from Ansbach, Detmold and Sydney (Australia) created multi-media pieces interpreting each song’s subject: law, faith, prayer, baptism, confession and Holy Communion.
Soundtrack by Jan Kreusel
