THE COSIMA VON BONIN AND MORITZ VON OSWALD EVENT IS CANCELLED.
Donnerstag, 17. Mai 2012, 19 Uhr, Aula 


Due to circumstances beyond their control Cosima von Bonin and Moritz von Oswald have been compelled to withdraw. We are able, however, at least to present remarks prepared by Cosima von Bonin to be read on the occasion. We hope that this will compensate in some measure for the cancellation.
In lieu of the event we will present the first screening of Cosima von Bonin's 1995 1. Grazer Fächerfest footage---filmed by Ingeborg Gabriel and compiled by Stefan Mohr. 


REMARKS BY COSIMA VON BONIN PREPARED FOR THE OCCASION, TO BE READ ALOUD AT THE BEGINNING OF PROCEEDINGS WITH MORITZ VON OSWALD.

I just want to sit here as the technical assistant and best boy of the gentleman next to me.

He does not like to talk any more than I do.

But the motives are different.

From a 2011 interview:

FAZ: How did you, as one of the most influential Techno producers of the ‘nineties—the Techno decade par excellence—manage to maintain no media presence whatsoever?

MvO: My production partner, Mark Ernestus, and I worked on music, and wanted to do that alone. We did not want to take care of other difficult stuff. For me "the interview" is a type of conversation that I still find it difficult to do.

FAZ: So why, then, did you accept this kind of conversation today?

MvO: This is a thing—a matter of practicing to overcome my shyness.

Here he is on his Dub/Club Set:

“The Moritz von Oswald computerized Dub/Club Set is an up-tempo combination of electronic dance tracks channeling dub step and techno tracks with atmospheric relaxed-sounding rhythms.”

He brings research—into the possibilities of sound, sound exploration, sound research—along with him.

I have not brought anything along with me.

On this thing even of “being an artist"? I sometimes think about stopping—very different from him.

That is why I just want to sit here at the table and listen.

Maybe I could assist once in a while, if requested, in passing the microphone to the not-exhausted one.

I feel exhausted.

Regarding my work, I do not want to say much. I would rather evade my responsibility.

Leave it at that I am a thief. I steal from the left side and from the right side. I grab, take everything that could be useful to me, and for my purposes. And I steal others’ time. And all of this very fast. And then, also very fast, the thingy stands there or is mounted on the wall. And then, I am, once again, totally exhausted.

That is The Fatigue Empire.

It started with us two, sitting together.

In a spex interview, Dirk von Lowtzow said, “The Fatigue Empire […] is a reevaluation of social imperatives. To function constantly these days is seen as extremely virtuous. For many the worst thing would be to acknowledge that they are exhausted. Contemporary capitalism demands constant creativity, and that one deal with it, profitably. Not even losers are left  in peace—they too should work on themselves continuously, and get involved permanently. The Fatigue Empire represents an opposing model that celebrates exhaustion very open-mindedly, as everybody knows of course.”  

To speak to the topic tonight: Moritz von Oswald’s music heard in my exhibitions has the ability to add that excellent  touch of “glitter & glamour”, and ghost nuances, because he listens very precisely, and carefully, and with immense perseverance. And he listens to me too. And then he produces the beat, the track, the song. And it’s perfect. And if not, then, he continues to work on it with this perseverance. He conducts research.  

I do not.

He is not exhausted afterwards.

I am.