jetzt

1961
© Max Bense ; photo © ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, photo: Franz J. Wamhof
Artist/s
Max Bense
Title
jetzt
Year
1961
Category
Print
Material / Technique
letterpress print on paper
Dimensions / Duration
39,8 x 39,8 cm
Collection
ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe
Description
"NOW, now and only now, now and only now, now and still
now, now is the now only now that is only now and yet now
is, only now and yet now, now that is now, not now that is
now is not now is now that now is when it is now, not
now as it is not now, not now as it is not now now,
now that's not now isn't now, now isn't, now isn't yet,
but now that is not yet now when it is now, now that is now
is no longer now when it is now and now that is now
when it is not now, this now, only this now, only this now
now is now"
Max Bense

The poem inspired Georg Bense, Rainer Wössner and Hansjörg Mayer in 1962 to make a film whose strict structure corresponds to the words of the text. The length of the shots was determined by the number of the words' syllables. The length for the word "now" (one syllable) was defined as one meter of film. Words with two syllables have double length.
The film »Jetzt« (16-mm film, b/w, sound, 00:13:00) is also in the collection of the ZKM.

Author

Margit
Rosen

Footer

ZKM | Center for Art and Media

Lorenzstraße 19
76135 Karlsruhe

+49 (0) 721 - 8100 - 1200
info@zkm.de

Organization

Dialog