On, Of, For, With Benjamin Patterson

In this conversation Ariane Jessulat, Christian Kesten and Steffi Weismann – and guest, artist Ann Noël – reflect on the ensemble’s long term involvement with Benjamin Patterson’s work and legacy, in the meantime, problematizing the exclusion of female and BIPOC members from the history of Fluxus. This conversation revisits various encounters, performances and concerts that the panelists shared with Patterson through the years.

With every re-performance of Fluxus pieces, the fundamental question arises as to how much must or can be lost through the re-performance alone. Certainly, it is too easy to put one's feet on the table and argue from the safe position that Fluxus cannot be performed again. With this sweeping judgment, one gives the existing Fluxus activities a uniformity that they have never possessed. The somewhat more differentiated questions: “Which Fluxus activities should still be performed today?” and “Which Fluxus pieces still have their lively appeal after 50 years?” are questions that the Maulwerkers have always asked themselves when dealing with Fluxus.

“But if the roots of all intermediary approaches between stage art, visual art, music and performance are condensed in the conceptual simplicity of some Fluxus activities, then the question of topicality does not arise. Then Fluxus is not a contemporary phenomenon, but a surrogate of all unifying approaches in art and thus highly topical, especially today.” (Ariane Jessulat) On closer examination, the Fluxus group consisted of different artistic personalities. To focus on Benjamin Patterson in this concert, with whom the Maulwerkers already played together in 2012 and 2014, gives the opportunity to examine again his individual handwriting.