Concept

-1998-

Moments after learning that he was accepted as a student at the University of Fine Arts Hamburg, Jankowski drove to the school to celebrate by drinking champagne with a group of friends who were already students there. The friend he was with caught this on tape: at the top of his voice, Jankowski sings along to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony – often referred to in German as »die Schicksalsymphonie,« meaning »the Symphony of Destiny« – which is playing on the car radio.
Six years later, Jankowski graduates. For his graduation exhibition, he asks his professors to sign a glass bust of Beethoven. Then he once again videotapes the drive, this time away from the school, and sings along to Beethoven. In the resulting video installation, the two sequences fade into one another, and the video is exhibit- ed alongside the signed bust – as well as Jankowski’s official diploma.

Installation

 

 

Video (1 DVD), 5:53 min, PAL, 4:3, color, sound

Signed cast of Beethoven‘s head, glass (signed with permanent marker), headphones, framed diploma, unique

Installation view, Hamburger Kunstverein