2023

Sculpture by David Buchas & Esther Buchas

This artistic study explores the connection between nature and civilization through the lens of destruction, focusing on the artistic representation of car skeletons as relics of car accidents. It investigates the juxtaposition of these relics with images of deceased animals to convey complex narratives about mortality, human intervention, and the interplay between the natural and human-made worlds. By utilizing old and rusted car parts, the study blurs the boundaries between nature and civilization, highlighting the convergence of decay and creation. Through these artistic interpretations, the research prompts contemplation on the interconnectedness of life, death, and the profound relationship between humans and the environment.

“Was die fleischlichen Eingeweide des Menschen sind, sind die mechanischen Teile des Autos. Gelenke und Knorpel sind Schrauben und Bolzen. Das Rot des Blutes findet sich im Schwarz oder Braun des Öls wieder. Aus Organischem wird Technisches, aus Weichem wird Hartes, aus einer Konstruktion für alles Mögliche wird eine Konstruktion für den reinen Transport.“

2022

Assimilating Habitual Recognition

Audiovisual Work (1-channel) by David Buchas & Esther Buchas

Assimilating Habitual Recognition employs the technique of volumetric film to explore artistic possibilities. The performance of the dancers from Animafabrik is recorded using a camera and a 3D scanner, and subsequently subjected to alienation and consistent transformation through the application of digital techniques. The objective was to create a dynamic interplay between movement and form, exploring the boundaries between three-dimensional space.

2021

BUTOH

Performance Video by David Buchas & Esther Buchas

Butoh is a modern expressive dance that emerged as dance theatre without a fixed form in Japan after the Second World War. Its roots go back to modern German expressive dance in the 1920s. Hijikata Tatsumi and Kazuo Ōno are considered the founders of Butoh.

The performance can be characterised as artistic research. As a former dancer, Esther Buchas focussed on typical Western dance styles. A key feature of Butoh is the deconstruction of these Western dance structures.

2021

ESTHER

Short film by David Buchas & Esther Buchas

The short film was created as part of the “Bible in the Film” lecture, which was developed in collaboration with the Metro Kino Kulturhaus and led by Mag. Dr Klaus Davidowicz.

This film biography is an account of the life of the Jewish Queen Esther. The narrative is derived from the Book of Esther and presented in a series of carefully composed tableaux. The film draws inspiration from the work of the Armenian filmmaker Sergei Parajanov – featuring a minimalist approach to dialogue and a reliance on intertitles to convey the narrative.