This week, Gregor Hildrebrandt opens his debut solo show with Galerie Perrotin in New York, entitled “Die Geschichte läuft über uns.” The artist, who often uses the materials and detritus of outmoded music technology in his work, will present sculptures and mixed-media works made from vinyl records, as well as cassette tape (imprinted with unplayable music by Theo Teardo and Blixa Bargeld) and the shells of empty cassettes, which will, he says, give the impression of a crypt. Here, the music-obsessed innovator shares some of the songs that have inspired his practice.
“The Figurehead,” The Cure
I dedicated my first big collage to this song in 2000. I particularly like (or identify myself with) the line “I can lose myself in Chinese art and American girls.” Furthermore, my aim was “to make paintings like The Cure.”
“Tunic (Song for Karen),” Sonic Youth
“Tönende Jugend” (the German translation of the words Sonic Youth) was the title of my first solo exhibition at the WBD in Berlin in 2002. In German, this title reminds me of the time of Stefan George, whereas in English, it stands for punk rock and my attitude towards life when I was young. I used to listen to this song to cook eggs, since it is exactly as long as the time it takes to cook an egg “medium” (i.e., soft). Due to my adoration for this band, I have also produced works that referred to Goo and Day Dream Nation covers, made with art by Raymond Pettibon and Gerhard Richter.
“There is a light that never goes out,” The Smiths
The Smiths over and over again! I enjoy listening to them and especially when I am in my favorite Berlin bar: Bar 3. (For one of my works, I copied a pillar from Bar 3 at a one-to-one scale.) I drink this music as if it was pure happiness, and I cannot go home until they have stopped playing it.
“GS3,” Einsturzende Neubauten
I can see a strong connection in this song to my work because of this Shakespeare quote in the lyrics: “The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man’s hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report what my dream was…” My works also contain songs that cannot be depicted. I have developed my collages from failure.
“What if...,” Teho Teardo & Blixa Bargeld
My favorite song at the moment. I play it at home, in my car, and at my studio. Musically, it is carried by a huge, almost sacral, euphoria that is also supported by the strings in the composition. In my exhibition at Galerie Perrotin in New York, I want to build a church for this song. The message that I draw from it is that one should live his life the way it is now (in good weather). But maybe that is just a mistake in my translation…
