Katharina Sieverding’s "Life/Death" (1969) with the the soundtrack Kraftwerk improvised for it in early 1972; as it was shown at the Oberhausen short film festival in April ‘72, & later dokumenta 5.

"Life/Death", 1969 is Sieverding’s pioneering film and photographic work. The project consists of 42 one by one meter C-prints in steel frames accompanied by video. The video mediates on the polar extremes often found in our daily existence. The artist uses her face as the departure for this investigation. At one point in the film, Sieverding stares at her own reflection in a tablespoon of honey as it spills onto her bare legs. In order to agitate the viewer’s perceptions of themselves, she articulates precisely how it is she sees herself: as an extreme, sexual and powerful agent scrutinizing the politics of being an individual during a period of great institutional unrest. In another scene, Sieverding offers potent images of her face and hands as they appear and disappear in an undulating crimson cloth, an effect created by using her weathered red coat. Sieverding has stated that her face provides a screen on which to project infinite perspectives, thoughts and emotions. The work contains a line of text that reads; "Expressing uncertainty correctly and genuinely". She has noted that Uncertainty is phenomenon that interests her in art practice. Expressing certainty, incorrectly and ungenuinely. This uncertainty express lack of definiteness enables the viewer to make decisions and develop opinions through their own authority. The "Life/ Death project establish the stage for Sieverding ‘s subsequent works and has widely influenced international contemporary art practices.

RESOURCES:
This Film is Part of the collection 40jahrevideokunst.de (2006)
This Film is Part of the collection FluxFilm Anthology
Peter Roehr in the UbuWeb Sound