Licht Glas und Transparenz

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The curator, and director, of Kunsthalle invited Thomas and Christoph Dahlhausen (Germany) to present work independently and also to collaborate as part of an international exhibition exploring light glass transparency and readings of site, light and colour and perception. This was their first major collaboration although they had exhibited in the same exhibitions previously. Thomas has often worked in collaboration to test key ideas and this project included individual and collaboratively constructed components. Others exhibited included modern masters in the field: Dan Graham, Dan Flavin, Spencer Finch, Regine Schumann and Brigitte Kowaz. The Thomas/Dahlhausen work used readings of historical time; personal embodied time and natural time cycles. These were manifest through light and formal devices (plinths, wall paintings sound and the use of an innovative material,illumin8) to create pulsed light movements in time and space as part of the installation in the major gallery of Kunstahalle Dominikanerkirche. This gallery is an old Gothic church, with strong symbolic iconographic impressions and classic form and materials. The components of Licht Glas und Transparenz were affected by the history of site and the movement of light. One component was a wall painting that reflected the viewer and surroundings, pictorialising space. This meant reading the work was dependent on space and enabled disparate and differing readings to be engaged with over the time of viewing. Accompanying sounds were quiet recordings of contemplative overtone voice in a side chapel dedicated to victims of war. This exhibition received German media coverage. The hardback catalogue was distributed internationally. Thomas was assisted by the Arts Victoria International Development Program.