Susan Philipsz: Part File Score / Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin / Interview

The exhibition Part File Score by Susan Philipsz at the Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin presents a new sound installation by the 2010 Turner Prize winner. Susan Philipsz’ installation is based on the parallels between the train station as means of transport and the moved life of the composer Hanns Eisler (1898-1962). Eisler immigrated to the US in the 1930s but had to leave the country in 1948 due to his pro-communist convictions. In the 1920s and 1950s he lived in Berlin. Susan Philipsz has developed a 24-channel sound installation (24 pillars in the main hall of Hamburger Bahnhof), which is based on three film music compositions by Eisler. Large-format banner print are installed on the walls of the hall, which show Eisler’s musical scores, but are overlaid with pages from his FBI file. The FBI had started a file on Eisler when he entered the U.S. for the first time in 1935. In this video, Susan Philipsz explains significances of the concept of the exhibition and talks in detail about the developing process of this project. The show runs until May 04, 2014.

Susan Philipsz (b. 1965 in Glasgow, lives in Berlin), from 1989 to 1993, studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee and from 1993 to 1994 at The University of Ulster. Philipsz won the Turner Prize (2010). Recently her works were shown, among others, at K21 Ständehaus, Dusseldorf (2014); Museum of Modern Art, New York City (2013); Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York City (2012); Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst, Aachen (2011); Peabody Essex Museum, Salem (2011); Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA), Chicago (2011); Galerie Natalie Seroussi, Paris (2011); Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen, St. Gallen (2010) or Centre of Contemporary Art Torun, Torun (2009).”¨She has participated at the Biennale Estuaire Nantes/St-Nazaire; Bienal de Sao Paulo, São Paulo; Biennale of Sydney; The Busan Biennale; berlin biennale für zeitgenössische kunst; Yugoslav Biennial of Young Artists; Tirana Biennial; Manifesta 3 and Melbourne International Biennial.

Susan Philipsz: Part File Score at the Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin (Germany); Interview with Susan Philipsz; January 31, 2014. Video by Frantisek Zachoval.

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