Cartsen Nicolai’s work for TRACE was an extension of his research on the possible bodily effects of vibration.

1999 Biennial Year Find out more

Carsten Nicolai was a member of a small group of artists working through Galerie Eigen + Art in Leipzig prior to the reunification of Germany. Embracing performance and installation art, as well as more traditional media, they were an exceptional group at a time when figurative painting was the acceptable norm. Since then Nicolai has continued with his varied practice, developing a keen interest in the psychological and physical effects of sound. This interest has formed the basis of his performance work on the club scene, where he is known as Noto.

Cartsen Nicolai’s work for TRACE was an extension of his research on the possible bodily effects of vibration. Sampled tones, modem beeps, and telephone pops and clicks are organised into loops to produce minimalist cycles of abstract sound. The result was a manifestation of the invisible energy of electricity: the acoustic trace of an intangible commodity. Nicolai’s drawings – which might be compared to Duchamp’s explorations of the mechanical metaphor – formed the notations for the music he has composed.


Atem, 1999
Sound Installation
Courtesy of Gallery Eigen + Art, Berlin