Blinzelbar
Große Bergstrasse 158
22767 Hamburg

This work takes as its start a 20-year survey of the musical judgments made by former SPEX-editor and current art critic (Texte zur Kunst, Artforum) Diedrich Diederichsen.

Unlike the Diedrich Diederichsen Listening-Corner (see 1/2005), the music was played over two PAs in the acoustically-soundproofed Blinzelbar-space, and the chronology was determined by audience request. The accompanying commentaries were projected on the wall and read aloud (special guest Jörg Hochapfel doing the 'Diederichsen voice').
Visitors were free to move from one corner of the room to the other during each 'track' and thereby compare the two 'taste patterns'. Several visitors used the opportunity to write comments on a part of the wall reserved for this purpose.
After about 16 quadrophonic tracks, there were some general discussions about: culture-political appoaches and options today; diffferences between counter-public approaches in the US and in Germany; cooption, careerism and exploitation in the music industry;  the Hamburg Art Center and Diederichsen's lecture series there.



Visitor Comments:

"Diederichsen... what comes to mind? Well, we hated him back then. He featured major acts, and that was enemy territory. When you read his 'intellectual' reviews, it seemed like a pompous ass was being given a slot that nobody else wanted. So we allowed him his silliness and were certain that nobody paid notice. Because simply being negative at the time, already— that would have been too easy. And to touch up whatever you know with pseudosociological jargon, well... Today, he reminds me of a certain kind of old-fashioned intellectual who nobody would ever miss. Nevertheless, he was a conversation topic, more than he deserved. Does he ever write about anything other than himself? The city of Hannover comes to mind, in this context— somehow superfluous but always with something to say. Today, as yesterday, I wouldn't believe him if he were to claim he were at the Chaos Days [legendary Kohl-era punk events in Hannover]. More likely that he was at the café across the street."

"Music playing in parallel, with explanations, is better than with the headphones."

"This isn't all the wrong way around. Halftime result: Michel leads 7:6!"

"As complicated as jazz may sometimes sound, you can tell that the chord progressions remain 'traditional', as with the blues (at least in this case). With 'rock' it all drifts wider apart."

"The critic is influencing the reception of the musician. Why is Wynton Marsalis described as a neocon? I heard: he has some powerful contacts. Maybe distinguish between artist and people who exercise power? The artistic habitus as a higher moral authority?"

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