Gießener Anzeiger · 3 November 2003 · by Thomas Schmitz-Albohn
At dusk, the phoenix rose from the ashes
The exhibition “Stillness in Presence” with the performance “Phoenix” in Krofdorf-Gleiberg
On Saturday afternoon, plumes of smoke drifted across the main street in Krofdorf-Gleiberg and seemed to draw people in from everywhere. The smoke came from two wooden logs burning merrily on the pavement in front of the “Eckhaus 27” (Hauptstraße 27). But instead of the fire brigade, numerous onlookers arrived – among them a large crowd of children – to witness an extraordinary spectacle: in the next few minutes the legendary phoenix was to rise from the ashes. The phoenix – the bird revered as sacred in Egyptian and Greek mythology. According to ancient tradition, every 500 years the phoenix burned itself on a pyre and afterwards rose rejuvenated from the ashes.
The Krofdorf artist Brigitte Schwarz, who was formerly at home at the Hardthof in Gießen and still keeps her studio there, has in her artistic work been engaging for over ten years with the themes of death and transience. A few years ago her “Mummies” were shown in the dark ice cellar of the Hardthof. She has already exhibited worldwide – for example in Denmark and New Zealand – and successfully took part in the “Fletcher Award”, one of the most renowned ceramics competitions. Now, for the opening of her exhibition “Stillness in Presence” at the “Eckhaus 27”, she presented her performance “Phoenix”.
For this, a large crowd had gathered in the adjoining courtyard as dusk slowly fell, watching as if spellbound a great heap of ash with all manner of charred sticks. Around the heap individual logs were burning, and against the wall behind stood archaic-looking ritual objects of feathers and cloth. “Look, something is moving,” a child said to its mother – and indeed, from the extinguished pyre a hand suddenly emerged, swaying gently back and forth to the rhythm of the music. Bit by bit a creature with a bird mask, the phoenix, appeared and danced around the pyre. As it did so, the performance artist raised each of the shields in turn and invoked the powers of the sun and of devotion, of letting go and of dying, of new beginnings and of lightness.
After the performance the audience had ample opportunity to view the works of Brigitte Schwarz displayed across all three floors of the “Eckhaus 27” – shields, water and fire bowls, goddesses of light, and works with titles such as “From Heavy to Light”, “The Old Woman”, “Pregnant”, “Dead Phoenix”, “Angel”, “Mortal Table” and the title-giving “Stillness in Presence”.
Press text from the Gießener Anzeiger of 3 November 2003, translated from the German. Reproduced with attribution; all rights remain with the publisher and the author.