The work Concision up of the Whole (2008) by Patrick Topitschnig refers to a concept of the Viennese artist Konrad Bayer, who, through poetical Dadaist expression, strove to challenge his audience’s perception of events and happenings in the “Art Club” and the “Wiener Gruppe”.

 

The focus of Topitschnig’s video is a reflection on a deserted landscape and impressions and close-ups of surreal objects: antiquated coaches, playground objects, broken and decaying of architectural fragments. Using a static camera position the artist portrays compositions in intense colors, accompanied by a minimal soundtrack. The latter, due to the wind in the microphone, creates a rumbling, eerie noise, thereby achieving the disruption of temporal continuity and spatial coherence.

 

A character created by Bayer at one point claimed that time is the fragmentation of the whole by means of the senses. Topitschnig himself transports temporal and spatial divergence via sound and by assembling individual images over subtle movements, such as the flight of a bird or the gentle rolling and swaying of grasses and trees in the wind.

 

By use of simple means, Topitschnig achieves a temporal, slowly unfolding and utterly convincing effect in his philosophical reflection.

 

 

Angela Stief

Concision of the Whole

2008, HD-Video, 06min 06sec