Artwork celebrates Beethoven's 250th birth anniversary

The Goethe-Institut Korea and Art Nabi Center co-presented an experimental telematics performance, titled "Neuro-Knitting Beethoven," Nov. 27, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's birth. The event, livestreamed on YouTube, took place simultaneously in Korea and Germany. / Courtesy of Goethe-Institut Korea

By Yi Whan-woo

The Goethe-Institut, Germany's culture and language promotion agency, showcased two experimental art pieces aimed at connecting music and technology last month in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's birth.

One of the two, a telematics performance titled "Neuro-Knitting Beethoven," visualized the brainwaves of a listener of the German maestro's Piano Sonata No. 8 "Pathetique" and Bagatelle No. 25 "Fur Elise," turning it into fabric art. It was held Nov. 27.

The other was an audio-visual art installation titled "Covered Culture." This was on an exhibition in Seoul from Nov. 17 to 29, showing video clips of the chorus and singers from Germany, Korea, China and Japan humming the tune of a new composition created by combining multiple pieces of Beethoven's music into a new piece.

"Neuro-Knitting Beethoven" was jointly presented by the Goethe-Institut Korea and Art Center Nabi.

The Nov. 27 performance took place simultaneously in the two countries, with the brain data collected from the listener in Korea being sent in real time to Germany and woven into fabric by a knitting machine. This event was livestreamed on YouTube.

The project was organized by European media artist duo working in Germany ― Varvara Guljajeva and Mar Canet, and Ven. Oh Shim, the head of cultural department at the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, volunteered as the listener.

The music played in Korea was performed by pianist Park Jong-hwa.

"The bright and dark colors of the fabric show how different parts of the brain have been stimulated, thereby visualizing the empathetic and cognitive reactions of the listener to Beethoven's music," the Goethe-Institut Korea explained.

It said the project was based on an idea of how Beethoven would have inspired the people with his music if he were alive in the COVID-19 world.

The institute noted the French word "pathetique" for Piano Sonata No. 8 Pathetique was translated as "grave sadness" in Korea while it originally means "tragic, yet brave and moving."

"If Beethoven were alive during today's pandemic, would he not send us a message of consolation with music that's 'gravely sad but bold and courageous?'" the Goethe-Institut Korea said.

The performance was followed by a discussion among Guljajeva, Canet and Park, moderated by Melanie Bono, the culture department head of the Goethe-Institut in East Asia.

The institute assessed the telematics performance as a new way to connect the world using advanced technology and to help global classical music lovers listen to Beethoven's music.

A German-Asian project, "Covered Culture" was jointly created by composer Brigitta Muntendorf and media artist Moritz Lobeck, both working in Germany, who used humming as a means to reinterpret Beethoven's music.

The exhibition began in October and is running through next year in Berlin, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo and Kyoto.

The Seoul exhibition was at the Alternative Space Loop in Mapo-gu, Seoul.

The eight-channel audiovisual installation shows images of the Beijing Queer Chorus, the opera chorus of German National Theater Weimar as well as singers and performers from China, Korea and Japan who collectively formed a virtual choir.

The purpose was to explore hyperculture, as opposed to tradition of speaking highly of hymns in relation to classical music.

Beethoven was born in December 1770. His exact birth date is unknown but it is believed he was born on the 16th.

The Beethoven Anniversary Society BTHVN2020 plans to celebrate the anniversary with a multitude of events from Dec. 16 to September 2021.

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