Jürgen Klauke / Ulay "Keine Möglichkeit 2 Platzwunden"

September 11, 12 and 14 : performance "Keine Möglichkeit 2 Platzwunden".

A projection screen measuring 3.5 by 2.5 metres has been placed along one of the walls of the exhibition room. On a table opposite the screen, two 16-mm film projectors have been installed. Beneath the projectors are two mirrors aimed at the screen. Two chairs have been set up on either side of the screen, with articles of clothing and masks lying on them. The masks are casts of the faces of Ulay and Klauke. Behind the screen is a 9-mm revolver, loaded with a bullet.

At the room’s entrance, transparent masks shaped to the faces of Ulay and Klauke are passed out to incoming visitors. The visitors enter the room with one of the masks on their faces. Ulay and Klauke, camouflaged entirely in white, appear from behind the screen. Each one stands on one side of the screen. On the screen two Polaroid images, shown side by side, are continually being projected; there are ninety images in all. They are images of situations, environments, Cologne, Amsterdam, and Ulay/Klauke imitating each other.

When the projection stops Ulay walks over and takes Klauke’s place, while Klauke stands in front of the screen. The face of Ulay or Klauke is projected on Klauke’s face four times, each time for one minute; Klauke’s face is covered with one mask after another that Ulay hands him from the chair. Then life-sized filmed images are projected on Klauke, four times for one minute each. The images show Ulay or Klauke in distinctive outfits. The projection stops.

Both walk to the other side of the screen – Klauke to the side, Ulay in front of the screen. Once again the Polaroids and life-sized images are projected, this time on Ulay. The projection stops.

Klauke walks back to his place on the other side of the screen. Both stand opposite each other on one side of the screen. Four spotlights are lit. Ulay and Klauke change places, take the articles of clothing from each other’s chairs and lay them on their own chair. Once again they stand opposite each other. Ulay picks up the revolver from behind the screen, places it against his masked head and pulls the trigger - nothing happens.

Ulay and Klauke exchange the revolver five times. The sixth time, Klauke shoots at Ulay (with a blank). Both stand immobile for thirty seconds. Ulay takes off his uppermost white mask. A bloodied mask appears. Klauke falls down. The light goes out. Both slip out of the room through a window.

The audience make their way to the front room, where Ulay and Klauke are sitting in their street clothes, talking to each other and ready to receive their visitors. (Frank Uwe Laysiepen, Amsterdam 2000)

September 11 through October 9: exhibition

In the front room, erotic drawings by Klauke and Ulay’s Renais sense series (1970-'73) are on display. Renais sense comprises eight metal plates, each with Polaroid photographs (the number differs per plate) framed in empty Polaroid packs and a brief hand-written text underneath. The photographs show parts of Ulay’s body, some of them described with a text.