Otto Wagner – Artis Sola Domina Necessitas

3. April 2015

Performance: Artis sola domina necessitas

(Start reading Wagner’s “Konstruktion”-Text to audience. Until motto “Artis Sola Domina Necessitas”. Briefly explain to audience that Wagner saw himself as architect and artist, and that architecture as art follows one rule:)

Art has only one master, and that is…. (Finger-snap to audience. Brief silence)

(Tap 3-rhythms onto the walls etc of room, improv. neccesity-emergency)

Necessary.

Necessary. Necessary.

Fireplace.

Necessary. Necessary.

Wall.

Necessity.

Notwendigkeit

Ceiling.

Necessary.

Floor. London.

Necessity.

London tube.

This is a hammersmith and district line service to Hammersmith.

Necessary.

Necessity. Necessity.

Emergency.

No Service on the northern line.

Notwendigkeit.

Service interrupted on the northern line.

Notwendigkeit

No-Not-No-Emergency

No.

Art has actually only got one master, and that is…. (Step onto stone. Lights out. Snap cigarette lighter into silence. Lighter slowly rises.)

Love

Love Burning

Gorgeous amazing love

My great gorgeous amazing shining love

My dear love

My love is my talent

Liebestalent

Love for talent for love

Talent

Das Talent

Talent for Love

Love for Talent

My love is my talent

Das Talent

My love is rising like a phoenix

My talent is burning

My shining whining love is burning

My love is burning.

My love is burning my talent is burning my love.

No love for talent

No.

 

Art has only one master, and that is….

(Extinguish cigarette-lighter in water (rhino-tub). Dive into water to manipulate voice. Splash and feel water.)


Water

Water

Wavy splashy water

Joyful water

Flowing holy water

Fluidity

Fluidity

Liquidity

Flüssigkeit

Das Wasser

Water

Circulation

Transportation

Wasserfluss

Wienfluss

Water is creation

The water of creation

recreation water

Wa-Wa-Wa-Water

War

Wa-Water-Slaughter

War.

Water slaughter.

No.

 

post-performance

 

Art has only one master, and that is….

 

(Point to earth like Attenborough. Pick up earth-coated tiles. Walk around audience, offering to touch tiles with earth crust)

 

Earth Earth

The Earth

Mother earth

Touch the earth

Touch the earth of Austria

Erde

Erde

Earthiness

Birth of the earth

Birth of the the mother earth

Mother mater material

Material earth

Earth material

Erdigkeit

Geerdet

Touch the earth

The dirt

Soil

Erde Soiled

Soil Earth Soiled Earth

Dirty Earth

Dirty dirty Austria

No.

 

Art has only one master, and that is…. (silence)

(Back to rhino tub, immerse tiles in water, scrub with brush)

Virginity

Virginity

purity

Virginity

virginal purity

Cleaning for purity

Cleansing scrubbing

Cleaning the virgin earth

Young clean virgin earth

Cleansing of youth

Jungfräulichkit

Jungfrau

Cleaning the young lady

Reinigung der Jungfrau

Reinigungskraft

Cleansing virginity of youth

Virginity purity

virginal purity

Cleaning the lady

Purity my pure lady

cleaning

Lady cleaning

Cleaning lady

No! (keep Arms immersed)

 

Art has only one master, and that is….

(Pull out clean tiles)

Style

Style tile

Stylised

Stil. Stylised.

Sty

Sty.

Stylised

Style. Tile. Tile. Style.

Stil.

Der Stil.

Young style mas

Steal?

Steal style?

One master style tile?

Steal stile tile?

Steal Style?

Stolen style?

No!

 

Drops bad tile. Cockney. Aggressively flaunting original tile to audience.

 

Art has got got one master

Art has got got got

One master

One master

One one master

 

(Possibly slow image emergence of Otto Wagner. Shift to piano. Dramatic chords cut voice off. Then speaking over piano, gradually shift into religious singing.)

 

Art has only one master

Art has only one master

Art has only got one master wagner

Art has only got one master otto wagner

Art has only got one master otto wagner

Art has only got master

Art has only got one master

 

Shut piano lid. Stand up. Normal voice to Audience.

 

Art has only got one master, and that is…?

(Magical snaps over the heads of the audience. Questioning looks to everyone, hold tension, drop tension, exit, dark.)

 

END