The Egyptian National security service interrogates the leader of a local exhibition space because of a plaster cast copy of Claus Beck-Nielsen. The security service demands that the "Muhammad-statue" is returned to Denmark or destroyed on the spot in Cairo Airport. The Danish embassy cant help. Therefore Das Beckwerk is sending a special envoy to Egypt to solve the crisis with one stroke...
The job is simple: Go to Cairo; find the supposed statue of Mohammad and destroy it!
FUNUS DIALOGUE NO 8
Sunday 29 August at 3 pm at Glyptoteket:
Archaeologist Jan Stubbe Østergaard
+ the director of Das Beckwerk:
"Effigies, mausoleums and funerals - from the ancient Egyptians to Das Beckwerk"
FUNUS DIALOGUE NO 9
Monday 6 September at 4:15 pm in Preben Hornung Stuen, Studenternes Hus, University of Århus:
Professor of Philosophy and History of Ideas Mikkel Thorup +
the director of Das Beckwerk:
"What is the political potential in life beyond identity?"
Today - Tuesday 24 August 2010 - we open the parallel world of www.funusimaginarium.com - a Necropolis over the coming and finalizing Beckwork Funus Imaginarium - the Death of Identities & the State Citizen.
In the necropolis of www.funusimaginarium.com you can visit the different places and activities related to Funus Imaginarium. In the central building where the death bed will take place you can read about the effigy, the death bed and the construction of the building. In other buildings you find: information about the funeral procession and the burial on Saturday 9 October, the exhibition in Glyptoteket, the Funus Dialogues, the Funus Imaginarium Think Tank, the conference Who and what is really alive today? on University of Copenhagen. In the Funus Archives you will find essays, diaries and historical materials. In the former Beckwerk building you will find the history of the company's many attempts to get beyond identity. In the cinema - Film & Sound - you can meet the Funus documentary teams and their film-clips, soundbites and snapshots. On the verge of the horizon you will find the Funus Imaginarium satellites in remote cities where the plaster effigy will simultaneously die.
FUNUS DIALOGUE nr. 7:
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Friday 18. June 12-13:30
The French artist SOPHIE CALLE & The director of Das Beckwerk:
Why and how are we both preparing to stage a funeral (that might be our own)?
The dialogue was filmed and will be shown on Louisiana fra mid August + by Das Beckwerk.
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FUNUS-SAMTALE nr. 6:
DET KONGELIGE DANSKE KUNSTAKADEMI, AUDITORIET PÅ GRUNDSKOLEN, Peter Skrams Gade 3
FREDAG 4 JUNI kl. 13-15
BILLEDKUNSTNER FERDINAND AHM KRAG
SCENEARBEJDER KRISTIAN HUSTED
& LEDEREN AF DAS BECKWERK
AT KOMME DERUD HVOR MAN IKKE KAN KORTLÆGGES
Fredag d. 4. juni kl. 13-15 afholder Das Beckwerk den sjette i en lang række af offentlige samtaler om det kommende hovedwerk Funus Imaginarium - the Death of Identity, der finder sted i København 30. september- 9. oktober.
Hidtil har det været Das Beckwerk, der har opsøgt eksperter på forskellige videns- og praksisområder for at få svar på werkets store spørgsmål. Men denne gang er det billedkunstneren Ferdinand Ahm Krag, som har et problem (med Claus Beck-Nielsen), og derfor har indkaldt lederen af Das Beckwerk og scenearbejderen Kristian Husted til en samtale, der skal give svar på spørgsmålet:
HVORDAN KOMMER MAN DERUD, HVOR MAN IKKE LÆNGERE KAN KORTLÆGGES?
- om dialektikken mellem det topiske og det utopiske i Das Beckwerks produktion -
FERDINAND AHM KRAGS PLAN ER FØLGENDE:
Vi tager udgangspunkt i forholdet mellem den dødes krop og den dødes navn. I Burkina Faso er det skik at begrave den døde to gange: Først begraver man den dødes krop, og først et halvt år herefter afholdes en begravelse for den dødes navn. Det er denne sidste begravelse der fuldender og afslutter døden, som social begivenhed. Men hvad og hvor er den døde egentlig i perioden mellem de to begravelser? Med dette eksempel i baghovedet skal vi forsøge at forstå, hvad der egentlig er sket med figuren, mennesket, forfatteren Claus Beck-Nielsen i perioden fra han blev erklæret død i 2001 og bogen Claus Beck-Nielsen (1963-2001) En biografi blev udgivet og op til i dag og endelig videre frem mod den forestående begravelse. Hvad er denne selv-aflivede person egentlig for en størrelse? Og hvad kan den forestående begravelse Funus Imaginarium lægge til eller trække fra i dette væsens sære ontologi? Vi vil forsøge at problematiserer aktuelle forestillinger om, at Claus Beck-Nielsen skulle være et spøgelse eller en zombie.
Samtalen vil derudover fokusere på en særlig dialektik mellem det topiske og det utopiske i Das Beckwerks produktion. Overalt i det ekspansive Beckwerk finder vi gengivelsen af kort: Bykort, landkort og små kartografiske optegnelser. Beckwerkets egen hjemmeside er endda opbygget som et landkort, der giver de enkelte områder i det samlede værk et sæt præcise koordinater i tid og rum. Der kan argumenteres for en helt igennem kolonial(iserende) værkstrategi i Beckwerket, der netop kun er mulig gennem en produktion af kort. Men så snart et kort er produceret synes producenten af kortet at skrive sig ud af det. Dette finder sted igennem en række negative begivenheder: Aflysningen af identiteten, selv-aflivninger, selvudslettelser, selvmordsaktioner osv. Vi vil forsøge at indskrive FUNUS IMAGINARIUM i denne særlige dialektik mellem det topiske og det utopiske i Beckwerket. Er Das Beckwerk igang med en bizar, morbid og umulig kolonialisering af egen død? Eller er der tale om et nyt utopisk spring?
Arrangementet er gratis og finder sted på: Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi Auditoriet på Grundskolen. Peder Skrams Gade 3
1054 København K. Tid kl. 13:00 14:30
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NATURAL SELECTOR RELEASED
On the 25th of January Beckwerk Records released Natural Selectors Debut Album.
Danish Music magazine Gaffa calls it "an achieved album" and "definitely rewarding"
Natural Selector is the collaboration between the electronic musicians Henrik Sundh and Bjørn Svin and the singer from Claus Beck-Nielsen Memorial. Their debut album consists of nine beautiful and desperate electronic tunes. The tunes go from the straight forward popish "Historiens Engel" to the twisted battle song "When the Sweatshop Boys Come Marching In", ending in the quite piano driven "Human Arms".
Henrik Sundh is mostly known for his work with the internationally acclaimed jazz-group Tys Tys and his soloproject Autofant. Bjørn Svin has after big popular success with his first electronic releases; Mer strøm and Benen på Nakken for some time now been working on the experimental edges of popular music, with Natural Selector he returns to a more straight forward musical approach. The music on Natural Selector is a further development of the songs from the performance The Posthuman.
Listen to tracks and watch the video for "When the Sweat Shop Boys Come Marching In" on myspace
The album is available on CD or Download
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DAS BECKWERK TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL IRREGULARITIES COMITTED DURING THE COP15 IN COPENHAGEN
Is it possible to take responsibility for the unknown? In a series of ads published in international newspapers in the days before the opening of the COP15 climate summit in Copenhagen Das Beckwerk has taken responsibility for all irregularities committed during the COP15.
The ads were published in among others The Guardian, IHT, Le Nouvel Observateur and Süddeutshe Zeitung.
NATURAL SELECTOR, the collaboration between the voice from Claus Beck-Nielsen Memorial and the two electronic wizards Henrik Sundh and Bjørn Svin, releases there debut album the 25th of January.
A few songs from the upcoming album, as well as the fantastic video for the song "When the Sweat Shop Boys come Marching in" can be found on myspace
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DAS BECKWERK AND ENSEMBLE MIDTVEST
At two concerts the 10th and 11th of November Das Beckwerk will present the results of our musical collaboration with chamber ENSEMBLE MIDTVEST and the two composers KARSTEN FUNDAL and PETER BRUUN.
On the basis of Beckwerk songs, texts and concepts the two composers Karsten Fundal & Peter Bruun and the ensemble for contemporary music EMV has developed an entire musical suite.
The result of this musical rendezvous will be presented for the public for the first time at the two concerts in November.
The scene is Europe, Europe as museum, Europe as camp, Europe as waste land for a love story beyond hope...
Read more about the collaboration HERE and on www.EMV.dk
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NATURAL SELECTOR RELEASES THE SINGLE
HISTORIENS ENGEL
Natural Selector is the voice from Claus Beck-Nielsen Memorial in an electronic cooperation with the electronic musicians Henrik Sundh and Bjørn Svin.
The album will be released in January on Beckwerk Records. But the single Historiens Engel (Historys Angel) has just been released. Historiens Engel is a collaboration with Danish techno wunderkind Bjørn Svin. The track is pop with content. Over trademark Bjørn Svin beats a voice sings of individuality as the sign of our times. Its a radical critique delivered in catchy one-liners.
Read more about Natural Selector and Historiens Engel HERE
Natural Selector and Historiens Engel is distributed by At:tack distribution and available for download on www.box.dk, I-tunes etc.
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1. September 2009
THE PASSPORT BEYOND IDENTITIES
One of the main goals of Das Beckwerk is to bring mankind
BEYOND ALL NATIONAL & PERSONAL IDENTITIES.
And thus our human material, the main subject of Das Beckwerk
must be the average world citizen & the avantgarde among the average.
Since 2001 this body has been just "some body" beyond naming and having
a calling which is not his or her own but the calling of humankind.
But as we still live & work in an age of transition Das Beckwerk has been
forced by the Danish authorities to give the nameless body a name.
We have chosen to let him or her - temporarily - take over the name
HELGE BILLE NIELSEN
from the nameplate that since 1929 has been screwed onto the door of the
apartment in central Copenhagen where he or she is stored up during the nights.
The name of another hu-man long since dead.
But what about his/her PASSPORT?
When the nameless subject of Das Beckwerk travels abroad she or he carries
a brand new passport bearing the (cover) name of Helge Bille Nielsen and a
photo which is a blend of existing passport photos. In this blend less than 50 % stems from the nameless body and more than 50 % stems from some body else.
Thus the subject of Das Beckwerk is on her or his way from being just some body to be almost anybody.
Read Lilian Munk Rösings uncut review of THE POSTHUMAN
Lilian Munk Rösing review of THE POSTHUMAN in Information is both enthusiastic, critical and thorough. Read the uncut version of the review right here: Det Ny Menneske Information.pdf
Prerelease from THE POSTHUMAN:
The music for THE POSTHUMAN is composed by Bjørn Svin, Henrik Sundh and Claus Beck-Nielsen Memorial. But what does the new human being sound like? Follow the link and listen to Bjørn Svin and Claus Beck-Nielsen Memorials Historiens Engel.mp3 from THE POSTHUMAN.
THE POSTHUMAN - Premiere the 21. January
The dream of a New Human being has always existed. But what will the new human being be like?
The terror-regime THE POSTHUMAN is playing at Theatre Camp X Aveny in Copenhagen from 21. January to 14. February. Tickets at billet@campx.dk or +45 70 20 10 31
Free Download
Listen to Ulvetoners electronic remix of Mullahocracy from Freedom on the March.
Download it for free, right here: Mullahocracy Ulvetoner remix.mp3
A Sovereign Lawsuit
The main character from The Sovereign considers sueing the Author
Read the article here: www.information.dk/166651
Listen to the Sovereign. Nielsen reads an extract of the Novel on: Gyldendal
Watch The Sovereign on film
Follow Nielsen to the Novels central places
on www.momondo.com
The new Beckwerk novel
SUVERÆNEN / THE SOVEREIGN
is in your bookshop Wednesday 17. September
The new Claus Beck-Nielsen Memorial album
FREEDOM ON THE MARCH
is out on both CD and vinyl
on Geiger Records
Go buy or shoplift it now!
Das Beckwerk has become Reactor in Residence at Theater Camp X
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NIELSEN IN AFGHANISTAN
February 20th - March 12th Nielsen was on a mission to Afghanistan.
Read Nielsens Afghan diaries and see his pictures on Nielsen in Afghanistan
Read Nielsens 2 newspaper-features in Weekendavisen, Denmark (no. 10, 7.-13. March + no. 12, 19.-27. March)
and Morgenbladet, Norway:
17. September - Wednesday: Gyldendal Publishers will release the new Das Beckwerk novel: SUVERÆNEN (The Sovereign) Read more on: The Sovereign
18. September - Thursday 7:30pm Lousiana Museum of Modern Art present:
Das Beckwerk in dialogue with journalist Synne Rifbjerg about the new novel - THE SOVEREIGN, followed by a mini-CONCERT with the band: Claus Beck-Nielsen Memorial
24. September - Wednesday 8 pm at Århus University seminar "Confronting Universalities": Das Beckwerk lecture on the mission to Afghanistan
OCTOBER 2008
1.-2. October: Ordkalotten Litteraturfestival in Tromsø, Norway: Das Beckwerk reading + lecture + dialogue + solo-concert
25. October - Saturday at 8 pm: Teater Momentum, Odense: CONCERT: Claus Beck-Nielsen Memorial
29. October - Wednesday - Musik & Teaterhøjskolen in Toftlund, Sønderjylland: CONCERT: Claus Beck-Nielsen Memorial
30. October - Thursday - Grundtvigs Højskole Frederiksborg, Hillerød, Denmark: CONCERT: Claus Beck-Nielsen Memorial
31. October: Gyldendal & Das Beckwerk present the collected dialogues 2005-2008 between Das Beckwerk & the art-historian Mikkel Bolt Rasmussen: I Sammenbruddets Tjeneste, (Read more on: In service of the breakdown).
NOVEMBER 2008
10. November - Monday at 19.30 pm: Litteraturhaus in Copenhagen Das Beckwerk reading and more.
17. November:
Das Beckwerk will start rehearsals on the new terror musical The New Human Being (Det Nye Menneske)
Premiere: January 21. 2009 at Theater Camp X Aveny, Copenhagen
