Study for a Monument (The Music) XIII

At this Charlottenborg Art Talk, the Gothenburg-based artist Johan Zetterquist will perform his work STUDY FOR A MONUMENT (THE MUSIC) XIII. His work, in his own opinion, should be seen as both a piece of music and a sculpture – because the experience, the music in itself, have a direct and pronounced physical expression. His music has parallels to the music genre drone metal.

Staffan Boije of Gennäs will begin with a short introduction into the artistic practice of Zetterquist. After the concert there will be a conversation between Staffan Boije and Johan Zetterquist with a focus on the relationship between art and music in his works, and the idea of presenting all of his artworks as sketches  or drafts for a public monument.

STUDY FOR A MONUMENT (THE MUSIC) have previously been performed at: Avaruusromua Drone/ambient Festival (Sienajoki, Finnland), Cafe OTO (London, England), Borås Intenational Sculpture Biennal (Borås, Sverige), Geiger Septemberfest (Göteborg, Sverige). The music is improvisations and every performance of the work is a new variation.

Background
The album contains three long parts, which works as a kind of sound sculpture. It’s a profound drone metal variant recorded on a Gibson SG amplifier with various effects, live with no overdubs, slowly unfolding to reveal blistered shards of sound that recall everything from Stephen O’Malley to Maryanne Amacher’s seminal Sound Characters.
Zetterquist takes advantage of the contrast between extremes produced on his limited set up, taking us from quiet contemplation to visceral and apocalyptic metallic drones and back again, providing natural catharsis without ever being burdened by elaborate sequencing. The swell and hum is aided by Boris Wilsdorf’s detailed recording that lends itself to attentive, immersive listening.

Biography
Conceptual artist Johan Zetterquist devises proposals and designs for public space whose execution is one step removed from reality. His ambitious, absurdist proposals may take the form of texts, drawings, photography, models, performances, sound art and large-scale installations and sculptures both within and outside of the gallery. His subjects often exist within the urban context and confront our understanding of the distinction between “nature” and the man-made. Zetterquist’s surreal humor creates unconventional ideas: a permanently burning house on the edge of the highway, skyscrapers half-buried in sand, a “monument” that is actually a garden fence. His works rebel against societal rules and the orderly voice of public announcements, refusing conformity and rejoicing in hypothetical realities.