Alicja Kwade (*1979) draws inspiration for her work from philosophical, scientific, and social questions. Her sculptures explore models and constructs of perceiving reality, challenging the possibilities of subjective and objective knowledge. In “In Abwesenheit” (In Absence), she investigates how humans and their physical presence in space can be described through various methodological approaches. The works presented evoke aesthetic experiences rooted in abstract scientific and philosophical theories.

One work stands out because of its impressive size. Titled Clout-Count, it explores the physical positioning of humans in time and space. A massive black steel ring dominates the center of the hall, reaching up to the ceiling. Mounted on the ring are 24 speakers that project the artist’s heartbeat into the exhibition space, forming a series of shifting spatial patterns. The heartbeat accelerates, multiplies, or nearly vanishes through tempo modulation as though dissolving into the museum’s walls. At one moment, the heartbeat feels monumental, its energy concentrated in the physical arrangement of the speakers. In the next, it recedes, dissolving into the space.

In our work on Clout-Count, we explored how the artist’s heartbeat would manifest in the interplay between presence and absence. How would the sound of her heartbeat be perceived in the Berlinische Galerie, and where? This inquiry encompassed questions of scale: the anatomical heart, the speaker sculpture, the perceived sound, and the exhibition space itself. We also examined the fluidity of the auditory experience between realism and abstraction, as well as the formation and dissolution of space and spatial boundaries. Additionally, we considered how a naturally varying rhythm could convey a sense of vitality, avoiding any suggestion of mechanical monotony.

To address these questions, we conducted a series of sound studies over several weeks using an experimental setup in Alicja Kwade’s studio. Based on recordings of the artist’s heartbeat, we developed a set of sound characteristics that enabled continuous micro-variations of the inner sound structures in ever-new mixing ratios. Influenced by her heart rate, a generative, dynamically varying system created varying characteristics and intensities. Alicja Kwade’s heart rate could be transmitted in real-time from her wristband to the audio system via the Internet anywhere in the world.

Next, we shaped the sonic components into spatial figures. This included augmenting and diminishing the perceived size of the heart chambers through the 24 individually addressable speakers and two subwoofers, manipulating presence and distance using volume, filters, and reverb, and exploring variations in direction, rotation, and polyphony. The installation also featured moments of surprise, subtle, almost imperceptible changes, and complex interdependencies among the parameters.

Since the system operated in real-time, all parameters remained accessible throughout, allowing us to adjust the intricate relationships to the exhibition space during the final composition process in the museum. From the exhibition’s opening onward, the system functioned autonomously over a period of around six months.

We found it fascinating to observe how the installation influenced the perception of other artworks. The exhibition’s character shifted toward a more distant, reflective, and analytical experience when the heartbeat became faint or silent. This fostered a sense of clarity and perspective, enhancing awareness of context and individual presence. As the heartbeat intensified, a stronger connection to the space emerged, creating a sense of flow and engagement in the performance while drawing attention to details. The sound of one work reshaped perspectives on the other pieces, the architecture, and even on ourselves.