1. Städteplanung / Architektur / Religion Buch II - Elisabeth Penker ST/A/R 17
ELISABETH PENKER
„Polysynthetische Doppelperspektive 1, Claude Levi- Strauss“
Photocolloage C-Print, 40 x 30 cm Collection Galila Barzilai Hollander, Belgien

2. 18 ST/A/R Buch II - Elisabeth Penker Nr. 13/2007
De-grammatical
f
or the past few years, Austrian artist Elisabeth Penker has been exploring the
spatial dynamics that occur in the relation between objects and sound. In her solo
show at HTTP Gallery in London consecrated to "technologically termed praxis,"
she investigates rhythm and musicality by rearranging phonetic units in a process
inspired by First Nation languages. With the multichannel sound installation Die Bild-
hauerin (The Sculptress), 2005, the artist breaks the grammatical structure of the title
words into units, or "morphemes," which become the basis of a minimal composition
that resonates in and shapes the surrounding space. Backed by pre-recorded vocals and
the echoing sound of two stonemasons chiselling into a wall, Penker's performance on
the show's opening night took place on Sonic Structure (portable instrument), 2005,
a geometric construction vaguely resembling a keyboard, made of wood and covered
with industrial flooring. Any sounds made on this structure are amplified by means of
a number of microphones set at different heights that allow any performer to produce
music with wooden blocks and sandpaper. Having examined Luigi Russolo's "Futurist
Manifesto" of 1912 and, in particular, his experiments with noise, Penker successfully
rephrases the old avant-garde formula through an orchestra that, although organized
with instruments made of industrial materials, is able to involve those forces embedded
within the most sophisticated sonic structure of all–linguistics.
–Diana Baldon, published Artforum 2005
Elisabeth Penker, installation view, “De-Grammatical: Rhythm and Language Transformation” HTTP Gallery, London curated by Tobi Maier 2005

3. Nr. 13/2007 Buch II - Elisabeth Penker ST/A/R 19
SPLIT REPRESENTATION / DOUBLE PERSPECTIVE
the animal (person) is imagined cut in two from head to tail (toe)…
there is a deep depression between the eyes, extending down to the nose.
This shows that the head itself must have not been considered a front view,
but consisting of two profiles which adjoin at mouth and nose...
Franz Boas
„Polysynthetische Doppelperspektive 2, Claude Levi- Strauss“
Photocolloage C-Print, 40 x 30 cm Collection Galila Barzilai Hollander, Belgien

4. Städteplanung / Architektur / Religion Buch II - Elisa
ELISABETH
9 September - 22
INOVA Institute
Wisconsin-M
Opening reception: 8
PICTORAL REALISM?
Our concept of pictorial realism should include a reference to perceptual proficiency relative to a cultural
context…. However, the variety of styles that serve the purposes of depiction in non-Western cultures suggests
that realism (when conceived as determining the degree to which an object is visually recognised in a depic-
Studio: tion) even when understood as determined by a natural generative system[5] is far more multifaceted than the
standing "resemblance" theories would allow. Compare the split style of Haida Art with the Rembrandt pen
Elisabeth Penker and ink drawing provided below… An example of a prediction would be that while it may be true that indig-
Franzengasse 13 enous Canadians traditionally raised will eventually come to recognise certain Western art styles as realistic if
A-1050 Wien continually exposed to them, this would not mean that they necessarily cease to perceive their traditional split
style pictures as realistic. It just means that they have added a new style of configuration to their repertoire.
T: ++ 43 (0)699 197 193 53 The same would apply (conversely) for Westerners. Contrary to the standing resemblance theories, pictorial
elpenker@gmx.at realism is a matter of the degree to which underlying perceptual principles are deployed in ways compatible
with recognition and there are numerous candidates for this. (J.McMahon)
www.eliserichter.at

5. abeth Penker ST/A/R 21
H PENKER
November 2007
E Of VISuAL ARTS
milWaukee
8. September, 6-9 pm
CUBISM AND THE
INVENTION OF COLLAGE
In the early 20th century, artists such as Picasso and Braque (and later the Dadaist and the Surrealist) like
Foto: Andrea Basczinsky
Gauguin turned to African Art for Enlightenment. African Art taught them the distinction between visual or
perceptual reality and the reality of knowledge or of concepts that echoes the western philosophical premise
that goes back to Plato. As early as 1907-1914, both Picasso and Braque were developing through Cubism,
painting as an art of representation and illusion. By finding for every aspect of three dimensional vision as
an explicitly two-dimensional equivalent, regardless of how much verisimilitude might suffer in the process.
They discovered that trompe-l'oeil could be used to undeceive, as well as, deceive the eye by declaring and
denying paintings physical flatness. Once the non-literal nature of the support was advertised, whatever hap-
pened upon the surface was not intended literally would be set-off and enhanced in its non-literalness.
(Clement Greenberg "Collage" 1959)

6. 22 ST/A/R Buch II - Elisabeth Penker Nr. 13/2007
“cracky walls”, exhibited at Künstlerhaus Stuttgart, Gandy Gallery Bratislava, Howard House Gallery Seattle
Elisabeth Penker
First Nation Pavilion
First Nation
Pavilion The “First Nation Pavilion” by Elisabeth Penker at-
tempts to set-up an area for colonial consciousness of
the European past and a utopic space for re-imagin-
Der “First Nation pavilion” von
ing a plurality of cultural forms in contemporary art.
elisabeth penker unternimmt den
The composition entitled “de-grammatical” contained
versuch, einen bereich für ein kolo-
within the First Nation Pavilion is structurally-based
niales bewusstsein der europäischen
on the grammatical classifications of languages, decon-
vergangenheit zu schaffen und
structed into minimal phonetic units played within a
einen utopischen raum für neue
non-linear 5-channel matrix.
vorstellungen von einer mannig-
faltigkeit an kulturellen Formen in
Penker is questioning the possible overlaps between
der zeitgenössischen kunst. Die
music-language and visual structure, within the pri-
komposition “de-grammatical”,
mary focus on polysynthetic languages (First Nation
ein bestandteil des “First Nation
and Pacific Islands) and First Nation Art compared to
pavilion”, beruht in ihrer Struktur
Elisabeth Penker “First Nations Pavillion” (outside, prefabricated house, Modern Art. More recently in the age of post-colonial-
Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset) Kunsthaus Graz, Protections, auf den grammatischen einteilungen
ism the discourse of cultural translation is arising
Kuratoren: Adam Budak und Christine Peters der Sprachen, die in phonetische
questions that have also been experimented by the
minimaleinheiten dekonstruiert sind,
Dadaists phonetic experiments in the 1910-20s and
und wird über eine nichtlineare 5-
later in Concept Art of the 1960s-70s.
kanal-matrix gespielt.
Front
“De-grammatical”, 4-channel sound installation
penker untersucht mögliche Überschneidungen zwischen der Sprache der musik und der bild- C.T (shelf/ bench), Acryl auf Pappelsperrholz
struktur, wobei ihr Hauptaugenmerk polysynthetischen Sprachen (First Nations und pazifische Back: “Pull Out, Yukme Shirley Hall”
inseln) gilt sowie dem vergleich zwischen der kunst von First Nations und der modernen kunst.
erst in jüngerer Zeit, in der Ära des postkolonialismus, hat der Diskurs der kulturellen Überset-
zung Fragen aufgeworfen, mit denen man sich schon in den phonetischen experimenten des
Elisabeth Penker is a Viennese artist
Dadaismus in den 1910er und 1920er Jahren beschäftigt hatte, sowie später, in der konzept-
and musician working with sound in a
kunst der 1960er und 70er Jahre.
sculptural context. In her (subjective)
tour, Penker approaches the entire
anti-exhibition PROTECTIONS from
an angle of its position and signifi-
cance in the context of Sound Art as
located on the crossway between visual
Die Wiener künstlerin und musikerin elisabeth penker arbeitet mit klang im Zusammenhang
arts, language and music.
mit bildhauerei. in ihrer (subjektiven) Führung nähert sie sich der anti-ausstellung protec-
tioNS aus einem blickwinkel, der die position und bedeutung der klangkunst an der kreuzung
zwischen bildender kunst, Sprache und musik verortet.
“Untitled Instrument, sonic structure”, Kunsthaus Graz – Protections;
Kuratoren: Adam Budak und Christine Peters
“Poetics of Dead Space” “Poetics of Dead Space”
Für protectioNS entwickelte elisabeth penker einen leitmotivischen key Sound, “poetics
of Dead Space”, der weitgehend eine Hommage an gaston bachelards wegweisendes buch For PROTECTIONS Elisabeth Penker developed a key-sound, “Poetics of Dead Space” which is
poetics of Space darstellt, in dem die verbindungen zwischen lyrik und räumlichen emotionen to a large extent an hommage to Gaston Bachelard’s seminal book, “Poetics of Space” where the
analysiert werden. penkers key Sound wird das publikum durch die ausstellung geleiten, die connections between the poetry and the spatial emotions are analysed. Penker’s key-sound will
identität der Schau in ihrer gesamtheit erfassen und in gewisser Weise die (audio-narrative) guide the viewer through the exhibition, mapping the overall identity of the show, in some way,
route des publikums im labyrinth der kunstgegenstände, ereignisse und Situationen aber auch controlling the viewer’s (audio-narrative) route in the maze of art objects, events, situations but
räumlicher leerstellen und ungenutzter Winkel kontrollieren. also spatial voids and unused corners. Adam Budak
Speaker placement: Station 1 outdoor (entrance), 2 (escalator), 4 (corner ), 5 (corner) 6 (escalator) 7 (corner)
A non linear composition, 7 mono active speakers are placed through out the Kunsthaus Graz within it’s dead architecture.

7. Nr. 13/2007 Buch II - Elisabeth Penker ST/A/R 23
„Polysynthetische Doppelperspektive 3, Claude Levi- Strauss“
Photocolloage C-Print, 40 x 30 cm Collection Galila Barzilai Hollander, Belgien

8. 24 ST/A/R Buch II - Elisabeth Penker Nr. 13/2007
COLONIAL LUICIDE LIST • Miwok, Bay Language
• Mobilian Language
Canada
• Mohegan Language
• Beothuk Language
• Molala Language
• Bungée Language
• Nanticoke Language
• Laurentian Language
• Narragansett Language
• Pentlatch Language
• Natchez Language
• Tsetsaut Language
• Nooksack Language
• Wyandot Language
• Northern Kalapuyan Language
United States
• Obispeño Language
• Abnaki, Eastern Language
• Ofo Language
• Adai Language
• Pamlico Language
• Alsea Language
• Piro Language
• Atakapa Language
• Pomo, Eastern Language
• Barbareño Language Elisabeth Penker: C.T. Structure
• Pomo, Northern Language (kulturelle Übersetzung) (2003)
• Biloxi Language (Acryl auf Holz, 77cm H, 82cm B, 22 cm T
• Powhatan Language - insgesamt 3-teilig)
• Cayuse Language
• Purisimeño Language Das Werk von Elisabeth Penker lässt
• Chehalis Language sich sowohl von einer bildhauerisch-
• Quiripi-Naugatuck-Unquachog Language visuellen Seite wie von einer musika-
• Chimariko Language lisch-performativen Seite betrachten.
• Salinan Language Die vorliegenden Reliefs geben
• Chitimacha Language natürlich eher den Einblick auf den
• Shinnecock Language erstgenannten Aspekt. Es ist jedoch
• Coquille Language von Nutzen, zu wissen, dass diesen
• Siuslaw Language räumlichen Konstruktionen komplexe
• Costanoan, Northern Language Überlegungen zugrunde liegen, bei
• Susquehannock Language denen sich räumliche Organisationen
• Costanoan, Southern Language an sprachlichen und musikalischen
• Takelma Language Prinzipien orientieren. Die Künstle-
• Cowlitz Language rin ist selbst musikalisch aktiv, baut
• Tillamook Language Bühnen und integriert die Betrachter/
• Cruzeño Language innen in den Prozess des Kunstwerkes.
• Tonkawa Language Dieser versteht sich immer als Referenz
• Delaware, Pidgin Language auf die Konstruktion von Raum und
• Tsetsaut Language Bedeutung und darauf, wie diese aus
• Eel River Athabaskan Language unserem Verhalten heraus konstituiert
• Tunica Language und damit wahrgenommen werden.
• Esselen Language
• Tutelo Language Kunst im Parlament
• Etchemin Language kuratiert von Peter Pakesch
• Twana Language
• Galice-Applegate Language
• Upper Umpqua Language
• Hanis Language
• Ventureño Language
• Ineseño Language
• Wappo Language
• Iowa-Oto Language
• Wiyot Language
• Island Chumash Language
• Wyandot Language
• Jersey Dutch Language
• Yana Language
• Karkin Language
• Yaquina Language
• Kathlamet Language
• Yonkalla Language
• Kitsai Language
U.S. Virgin Islands
• Kwalhioqua-Clatskanie Language
• Negerhollands Language
• Loup A Language
Mexico
• Loup B Language
• Chicomuceltec Language
• Lower Chinook Language
• Cochimí Language
• Lumbee Language
• Náhuatl, Classical Language
• Mahican Language
• Náhuatl, Tabasco Language
• Maidu, Valley Language
• Pame Sur Language
• Massachusett Language
• Tepecano Language
• Mattole-Bear River Language
• Tubar Language
• Miami-Illinois Language
• Miluk Language
"Colonial after effects of Luicide"
Liste von Sprachen (nicht vollständig), die durch den euröpäischen Kolonialismus ausgerottet wurden Gips, Metallkette, Hose, Schuh