36

Synopsis

"Lotte Schreiber and Norbert Pfaffenbichler's 36 is a rigidly mathematical and graphic composition based on the number in its title. All of this video's elements, including its length, are variables of this figure. Three apparently independent fields of perception are linked to Stefan Németh's synchronized soundtrack. In the left field, thirty-six vertical and horizontal white lines run through various patterns of movement according to a binary digital system (0=vertical, 1=horizontal). They eventually unite in six squares with amorphous animated miniatures. The right section of the screen contains a palette with patches of color reminiscent of Gerhard Richter. The colors combine and recombine in ever-changing mixtures as if they were controlled by an electric relay. At the bottom of the picture are two overlapping squares which portray the video's temporal axis. They provide the underlying rhythm in a manner similar to a metronome, though they move in a linear direction toward the visible end.

36 refers to both aesthetic traditions of abstract painting and the structural approaches of early geometric films (such as those of Walther Ruttmann and Hans Richter). at the same time, other associations arise, such as early video games and their restricted movement, which was limited to the main axes. When watching 36, an unbelievable tension and concentration develops for the viewer, caused not least by the clarity of the concept and the reduction of the means." – Gerald Weber, Sixpack Film