A 24-hour-screening in 17 institutions around the world
Olaf Nicolai
MARX, 2020
24 Hours
HD / colour / 16 : 9 / stereo
Camera: Volker Sattel
Camera assistant: Thilo Schmidt. Sound editor: Jakob Braito.
Cut: Olaf Nicolai, Patrik Thomas. Production assistant: Maeve Gerding
Marx portrays in a specific way the Karl Marx Monument erected in 1971 in what
was then Karl Marx City (now Chemnitz). From 12 noon on Sept. 21, 2020 to 12
noon the following day (the time of the equinox), the central facial section of the giant
portrait bust was filmed in a fixed shot. The 24-hour passage of time is reflected both
in the light reflections of the bronze facial landscape and in the sound recording of
urban life at this location. MARX ends with a brief quotation from the Danish author
Inger Christensen, which succinctly punctuates the questions about the passage of
time, its measurement and meaning in both physical and philosophical terms:
»Nobody knows in spite of everything if the universe is counting down while we are
faithfully counting up.«
The film Marx will be shown in several locations around the world at local times
from 12 p.m. Sept. 21 to 12 a.m. Sept. 22, 2021. It circles through all time zones,
resembling an artificial sun rotating around the Earth.
Produced as part of the project Gegenwarten I Presences 2020, organized by the
Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz.
Screening locations according to timezones:
TIMES MUSEUM, Guangzhou / MAUDI, Tblissi / AL MA’MAL FOUNDATION FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, Jerusalem / CINÉMATHÈQUE DE TANGER, Tanger / GARAGE. MUSEUM FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, Moskwa / GOETHE INSTITUT SOFIA, Sofia / LOCUS ATHENS, Athina / HAUS DER KULTUREN DER WELT, Berlin / HAUS DER KUNST, München / KUNSTSAMMLUNGEN CHEMNITZ, Chemnitz / MACRO. MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, Roma / MGML. MUSEUM AND GALLERIES OF LJUBLJANA, Ljubljana / ICA. INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS, London / FOGO ISLAND ARTS, Fogo Island / SUBTE. CENTRO DE EXPOSICIONES, Montevideo / ARTE CONTINUA LA HABANNA, Habanna / VILLA AURORA, Los Angeles