60 Years Federal Constitutional Court

Karlsruhe is known as the »residence of the law« – a nickname that the city is proud of and which it bears for good reason. Karlsruhe is home to the Federal Constitutional Court, Federal Supreme Court, Federal Supreme Court prosecutors, as well as courts of all jurisdictions. As seat of the Federal Constitutional Court since 1951, Karlsruhe has been the only city alongside the Federal Capital to house a constitutional organ. The Federal Constitutional Court is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year: A good reason for the city and Federal Constitutional Court to celebrate this anniversary together.
 

Program

Panel discussion on »Art and Law«
at the ZKM_Media Theater, 6 p.m.

Art and culture are just as much at home in Karlsruhe as law. For example, ZKM | Karlsruhe, a worldwide unique cultural institution is one of Germany’s guiding lights. What could be more obvious than providing insight on the interaction of “art and law” in a panel discussion? President of the Federal Constitutional Court, Professor Dr. Andreas Voßkuhle, as the highest representative of the German judiciary, will discuss this interesting theme with diverse personalities from the art field.

With
Prof. Dr. Andreas VoßkuhlePresident of the Federal Constitutional Court
Dr. Harald Falckenberg Art collector
Dr. Michael Naumann Chief editor of Cicero
Representative of the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg
Moderation: Dr. Frank Bräutigam (SWR – Recht und Justiz [Law and Justice])

Electronic Concert and Lounge
ZKM_Foyer, from 8.30 p.m.

DJ/VJ-Set
Markus Stockhausen »Sound Circles« (20’-25’)
Solo performance for trumpets and digital audio work station, composed and interpreted by Markus Stockhausen
DJ/VJ-Set
Alvin Lucier »Music for Solo Performer« (1965, 20’)
Interpreted by percussionist Robyn Schulkowsky
DJ/VJ-Set
Markus Stockhausen and Robyn Schulkowsky »Sharing Sounds« (20’)
Duo improvisation for trumpets and percussion
DJ/VJ-Set open end

»Music for Solo Performer« (1965) by Alvin Lucier was the first work in the history of music in which brain waves control musical processes. Interestingly, general brain activity is not used, thus making the black box brain audible; instead, used are neurological impulses (alpha waves), which are controlled by the performer and arise in a meditative state only. With these brain waves, drums and other percussion instruments are set in vibration. The agile percussionist Robyn Schulkowsky, otherwise known for her charismatic, active performances, reveals another side of herself here. The performer sitting on stage, motionless, with electrodes on her head, creates an unusual picture, which also makes one contemplate the glassy human.

»Sound Circles,« a free improvisation by solo trumpeter Markus Stockhausen, uses electronic aids, such as looping, delays, and harmonizing. The sounds are projected quadraphonically in the broad space of the ZKM_Foyer. All material arises at the moment and makes reference to the venue’s acoustics and atmosphere.
The duo improvisation by Markus Stockhausen and Robyn Schulkowsky, »Sharing Sounds,« emphasizes, in the end, the commonalities in the musical language of the two musicians who worked together intensely in the 1980s. The meeting of these two excellent musicians at the ZKM concert is a reunion in the search for new music, as it were. The spatial-music, partially improvised concert program is broken through by interjections from DJ deepthought and ultimately flows into a danceable situation.

Participants
Markus StockhausenTrumpet
Robyn Schulkowski Percussion
DJ deepthought