Aa Sschmmettrroossppecctivve Charlemagne Palestine Subtitle ― Artist(s) Charlemagne Palestine Authors Michel Baudson, Xavier Garcia Bardón Exhibitions ‘Aa Sschmmettrroossppecctivve’, BOZAR, Brussels, 18 May 2018 - 26 August 2018 en 1000 pictures and documents from the work and life of ISBN 978 94 9232 186 2 Charlemagne Palestine explode from the pages of the Release May 2018 book, superimposed in ‘strumming’ layers, weaving the Imprint MER. Paper Kunsthalle & historical & present, works & performance, private & public BOZAR Books into a tightly knit sschmmettrroobookk. Texts by Michel Language(s) EN Baudson and Xavier Garcia Bardón. Format 30 cm × 30 cm Volume 132 pages Cover Softcover Illustrations CMYK + B&W Design Studio Luc Derycke Retail €35.00 Printrun 500 + 32 22 (0) 9 329 31 Pauline Scharmann [email protected] L, 9000 Ghent, Belgium MER. Paper Kunsthalle Burgstraat 18 www.merpaperkunsthalle.org MER. Aa Sschmmettrroossppecctivve CharlemagneCharlemagne Palestine’s Palestine’s Bear Bear Mitzvah Mitzvah in in Meshugahland Meshugahland, ,The The Jewish Jewish Museum, Museum, New New York, York, NY, NY, 3 3 March March –– 66 AugustAugust 20172017 in the Henry LeLe BœufBœuf Hall,Hall, asas initiallyinitially Palestine atat thethe startstart ofof the 1970s,the 1970s, as as fashionfashion – – that that he he had had long long since since art,art, which which he he recently recently described, described, not not proposed, sprang from this same shownshown atat thethe CentreCentre forfor FineFine Arts,Arts, andand “turned“turned [his] [his] back back on on the the minimalist minimalist withoutwithout a a sense sense of of humour, humour, as as “Gesa “Gesa-- THETHE JOYOUSJOYOUS RE-ENTRY preference, since it reminded him of inin otherother momentsmoments ofof thethe researchresearch hehe climateclimate and and the the reductive reductive currents” currents” mmttkkunsttMeshuggahhLaandttttt”.mmttkkunsttMeshuggahhLaandttttt”. the raw rooms of CalArts. InIn contrastcontrast toto developeddeveloped inin thethe UnitedUnited StatesStates andand thatthat were were in in vogue vogue during during his his early early TheThe diverse diverse range range of of ways ways in in which which it it his performance of Strumming Music,, Europe, highlightshighlights thethe mixmix ofof soundsound performativeperformative years. years. Since Since then, then, the the isis possible possible to to perceive perceive the the multidimen multidimen-- OF CHARLEMAGNECHARLEMAGNE his body was here his only instrument, andand spacespace thatthat willwill continuecontinue toto prepre-- accumulationaccumulation of of his his musical musical and and spa spa-- sionalsional spaces spaces he he sets sets into into motion motion calls calls a body moving, whooping, and rushing vailvail asas aa formform ofof Gesamtkunstwerk Gesamtkunstwerk in in tialtial research, research, as as well well as as his his taste taste for for uponupon all all of of our our senses senses in in a a random random in its hectic race,race, emittingemitting itsits longlong crycry hishis artisticartistic career.career. TheThe obviousobvious linkslinks shimmeringshimmering colours colours and and soft soft materi materi-- fashion,fashion, according according to to the the free free move move-- PALESTINE PALESTINE AT THE from one wall to another, andand violentlyviolently betweenbetween volumesvolumes ofof soundsound andand movemove-- als,als, and and the the flaunting flaunting of of his his collections collections mentment of of the the visitors visitors who who are are confront confront-- colliding, the voice suddenly cut off by ment in space, with pressures andand ofof fetishes fetishes and and stuffed stuffed animals, animals, have have eded with with the the sonic, sonic, spatial, spatial, luminous, luminous, the muffled resonance ofof thethe full-onfull-on tensionstensions risingrising toto anan extremeextreme beforebefore comecome to to testify, testify, in in a a quasi-exponen quasi-exponen-- tactile,tactile, and and always always playful playful diversity diversity CENTRECENTRE FOR FINE ARTS impact, before runningrunning straightstraight toto-- finallyfinally resolvingresolving toto totaltotal calmness,calmness, andand tialtial way, way, to to his his most most intimate intimate being being thatthat the the magic magic of of his his liberating liberating carnival carnival FFFFOOOOFFFFOOOO RRRR RRRR TTTTYYYY TTTTYYYY FFFF FFFFOO OO OO OUUUU OUUUU R R RRR RRR YEARS YEARS AFTER! AFTER! ward another wall, and amplifying its hishis successivesuccessive phasesphases ofof introspectionintrospection –– like like a a “mixed-up” “mixed-up” or or “Crazy “Crazy Mixed” Mixed” offersoffers to to everyone everyone in in such such abundance. abundance. cry until the next collision, and so on, and externalization confirm his perma- self-portrait (to use his own terms) in The collection of stuffed toys, the —— MICHEL MICHEL BAUDSON BAUDSON cry until the next collision, and so on, and externalization confirm his perma- self-portrait (to use his own terms) in The collection of stuffed toys, the without respite, until finally collapsing nentnent strivingstriving toto gogo beyondbeyond hishis limits,limits, aa constant constant state state of of amplification. amplification. shimmeringshimmering suppleness suppleness of of the the fab fab-- to the ground, where stillnessstillness broughtbrought while reminding us ofof hishis constant,constant, TheThe current current exhibition exhibition confirms confirms rics,rics, the the brilliance brilliance of of the the colours, colours, and and InIn October 1974, October 1974, a concert-perfor a concert-perfor-- thethe rhythm, rhythm, that that I and I and the the assembled assembled silence. allusiveallusive memorymemory ofof hishis childhood.childhood. bothboth the the continuity continuity and and the the vitality vitality thethe acoustic acoustic amplitude amplitude of of the the music music mancemance of of Charlemagne Charlemagne Palestine’s Palestine’s massmass of of the the audience audience in in the the stands stands of of The conjunction of this duality in As he asserts,asserts, hehe isis aa fullyfully “max“max-- ofof his his all-embracing all-embracing concept concept of of an an areare not not set set up up simply simply as as some some kind kind of of StrummingStrumming Music Music took took place place in in thethe hall hall and and the the upper upper gallery gallery encircling encircling the artistic production ofof CharlemagneCharlemagne imalist”imalist” artist,artist, repeatingrepeating –– inin livelylively exhibitionexhibition conceived conceived as as a a total total work work of of extraordinaryextraordinary baroque baroque fantasy. fantasy. These These thethe Centre Centre for for Fine Fine Arts, Arts, Brussels. Brussels. itsits centre centre began began to to understand understand his his OrganizedOrganized on on the the initiative initiative of of Karel Karel needneed for for the the instrument instrument to to be be “Impe “Impe-- Geirlandt,Geirlandt, the the Director Director of of the the Société Société rial”.rial”. The The constant constant amplification amplification of of the the desdes Expositions, Expositions, the the event event was was staged staged pianopiano notes notes spreading spreading relentlessly relentlessly AA inin the the big big Animation Animation Hall, Hall, as as the the Horta Horta throughoutthroughout the the vast vast space space of of the the great great AA HallHall was was called called in in the 1970s, the 1970s, and and like like a a hallhall and and the the extraordinary extraordinary way way that that culturalcultural thunderbolt thunderbolt that that continues continues to to theirtheir volume volume was was developing developing produced produced SS S resonateresonate within, within, it it was was to to live live on on in in the the thethe sensation sensation of of being being swept swept away away in in a a S C memorymemory of of all all those those who who were were lucky lucky whirlwind,whirlwind, as as if if we we were were at at the the centre centre C H enoughenough to to attend. attend. Karel Karel Geirlandt Geirlandt had had ofof a a cyclotron, cyclotron, or or an an (auditory) (auditory) particle particle H M putput me me in in charge charge of of preparing preparing and and accelerator.accelerator. M M coordinatingcoordinating the the event, event, whose whose suc suc-- TheThe repetitive repetitive mastery mastery of of his his M performance at the Centre for Fine Arts, Fine for Brussels, 1974 Centre the performance at EE Arts, Fine for Brussels, 1974 the Centre performance at cesscess depended depended on on being being able able to to rent rent fingeringfingering and and the the power power of of his his strokes strokes TT anan Imperial Imperial concert concert piano, piano, as as created created hadhad caused caused all all the the strings strings of of the the piano piano TT byby the the famous famous Viennese Viennese piano piano mak mak-- toto resonate, resonate, continuously continuously vibrating vibrating RR ers,ers, Bösendorfer, Bösendorfer, in 1909. in 1909. Originally Originally beneathbeneath the the vigorous vigorous pulsing pulsing of of the the RR made for the pianist and composer, bass frequencies, but in a way that was made for the pianist and composer, bass frequencies, but in a way that was OO Busoni,Busoni, the the Imperial Imperial is is a a particularly particularly alsoalso sustained, sustained, like like the the effect effect achieved achieved OO Music Strumming