In an urban public space a passer-by is confronted with a video sculpture that looks like a woman creeping into a paper box. She reemerges, her body covered in brown fur while her face appears in a hole in the front of the box. Behind the screen she is looking peacefully into her inner self, singing and humming an old lovesong in Low-German.
(Won the OLB-media-award on the EMAF-festival 2002)
Nightmares
Miss Marple cannot sleep –her alarm is torturing her. At first, she doesn’t even hear it. Later, every time she gets up to look at it, it stops. Then when she lays down, it starts again. She gets more and more hysterical and eventually, mechanical.
(Won the german installation award in Marl 2000)
In Horsedog a white horse appears above a white dog as if standing on top of it . Sometimes the dog is on the lookout – but nothing happens. After a minute a black horse appears behind the white horse – and and dissapears before reaching the borders of the image. The dog doesn‘t notice it. In front of the projection from time to time a plastic bag is driven by air to fly while it‘s illuminated by a spotlight.
The city‘s edge at night: in the background the lights of the city, in the foreground a hut as a carcass. It seems to be inhabited: inside, a light is turned on and off sometimes. But also a window with the singing silhouette of a person behind it, is projected onto it. Behind the hut a man appears and disappears. On the other side of the construction site scenery, once in a while a dog is barking and illuminated according to the volume of his singing.
Endless lights
3 two-way-mirrors, 600 lights,
200 x 180 x 205 cm, 2007
Endless Lights is a model for the nocturnal sea of lights of a megalopolis.In a triangle of two-way mirrors, spectators can look through the mirrors inside of the sculpture from where the gaze cannot escape to the dark outside.
Endless lights II
3 two-way-mirrors, 300 lights,
195 x 128 x 110cm, 2009
Endless Lights is a model for the nocturnal sea of lights of a megalopolis. In a triangle of two-way mirrors, spectators can look through the mirrors inside of the sculpture from where the gaze cannot escape to the dark outside.
Marzahner Oper (Marzahn Opera)
town musicians (Stattmusikanten)
woman on the floor (Frau am Boden)
THE EDGE OF THE CITY (in collaboration with Wonne Ickx (B), 2004 – 2009)
Since 2008, more than half of the world’s population is living in cities.
We were looking for people living at the edge of Mexico D.F. , a city that is called ‚endless‘. Most of them considered themselves not as being on the edge but rather in the center …
works:
Endless lights (light sculpture, 2007)
The edge of the city (video, 2007))
De Noche (video installation, 2007))
Horsedog (video installation, 2007))
(*“lurking on farmers“ in lowgerman (Platt))
LUURN BI DE BUERN (2013-2016, in collaboration with Daniela Schlüter ) is a project on contemporary agriculture. It featured exhibitions with artists, lectures, performances and concerts in situ on 8 farms . Have a look at the artistic production of Stefan Demming for „LUURN“ below!
Updated Landscapes is an ongoing series of different production techniques reflecting upon the changes of landscapes especially in regions with industrial agriculture.
THE SMALLEST SHOW ON EARTH 2 (2010 – 2014)
The traveling „SHOW“ is a fake circus in public space. In 2014 the audience was asked to make their own show. It also features the video „Just journey with them“ about two nuns that travel with a circus, and the spatial video installation The ShowShow.
THE SMALLEST SHOW ON EARH 2 – LIVE!
An improvised show with local heroes in a tent – a fake circus as an intervention in public space, 2014
In a small town in Austria the project had its 14th stop and invited the neighbours to become part of it: we were looking for talents who were ready to present their performative capabilities during two weekends on stage.We were excited to welcome and present:
Miss Natalija with a real python, girls from the gym with a choregraphed performance, two gorillas performing a Schuhplattler (styrian folk dance), the local brass band with painted faces, two knights and her boss Margot (who also performed as Nina Hagen), the pakistani kids of the neighbour disguised as bankrobbers, yodelling Angie, retired Dr. Helmut Drexler as arabian storyteller and poet, half of a school class as Lucky Luke with a Pony, Cupsingers and HipHop dancers, a poodle playing football with three coaches, Bianca the rabbit magician, Michelle with a tight rope for drying her clothes, the strongest beatnik on earth, laughter yoga coach Ilse, the artist Alexander who impersonated a horse, a mosquito and a lion, a female Clown with her heavy metal playing boyfriend (on a guitar, unplugged) and Anita, the smallest princess on earth.
Every show was different depending on the presence of our local stars.
Stefan Demming as the director annouced every act and Mareike Hube accompagnied them with live music. Outside, the sideshow welcomed the audience.
Realized in the framework of „Unternehmen Paradies“, a project by transparadiso.
THE SMALLEST SHOW ON EARH 2 – project website or DOWNLOAD CATALOGUE (en / german)
