galerieanna25

The exhibition “Bernhard Paul – space notation III” invites visitors to reflect on the terms “space” and “notation”. Initially, space in the physical or cosmic sense may come to the fore, combined with the idea of capturing or defining this space in some way. But the real origin of these terms lies in music, or more precisely in the ‘new music’ of the post-war period. In the 1950s and 1960s, composers attempted to break the shackles of traditional musical notation, which were perceived as restrictive and rigid.

The so-called ‘space notation’ is one such attempt to rethink musical space. Traditional scores are strictly organized by notes and fixed time signatures. They enable a precise interpretation of the composition, which was often perceived as too restrictive. Composers such as John Cage and Steve Reich began to experiment with open forms that gave the performer more freedom. In space notation, the musical space is marked out by signs and a timeline that allow the performer to decide for themselves when and how the sounds are played within a defined time frame. The visual representations of such scores often resemble drawings or graphic works of art.

The painter Bernhard Paul takes up this concept and is inspired by New Music. His works are dedicated to compositions by artists such as Steve Reich, John Cage, Wolfgang von Schweinitz and Georg Friedrich Haas. In the exhibition “space notation III”, he presents his latest works, which were created in the “prelude” series. These works explore the dialog between space, time and sound in a visual language that continues the spirit of space notation.