Ulu Braun
Brussels Flamingo hosts four Belgian premieres of films by German video artist ULU BRAUN, from 8 November to 12 January. ULU BRAUN's narrative films are profound and intelligent, constantly targeting the spectators' mind, though at the same time being pulsating and suspenseful. An ever increasing number of world-wide screenings corroborate the impression that ULU BRAUN is a master in striking an amazing balance between the creative elements included in his works.
Rhabarber Boy [15 min, HD, 2007], his most recent work, addresses the conflict between infantile horizon and desire on one hand and the lurking and luring responsibilities of the real world on the other hand. A young boy lives alone in an amazing rhubarb jungle, threatened by the dangers of wilderness, until a strange comic-like trio of puppets gets in. However, interaction between the boy, the puppets and the wilderness develops in an unintended way. The plot gets around without any words. The spectator is fascinated already by virtue of the main character's perfectly balanced performance and the omnipresent exuberant creativity.
In Die Flutung von Victoria [22 min., DVD Beta Sp, 2004, 2007], a tourist bus tours around the plains of Victoria which are about to be flooded for a barrage project. The excursionists gloat over watching the inhabitants' last hours of day-to-day life and still seem to be disconnected from reality even in the moment when their own situation completely changes. Though being entirely different from Rhabarber Boy in terms of composition, style and realisation, Die Flutung von Victoria equally addresses the issue of conflicting poles of life. Despite the more than subtle translation of the conflict into the plot, ULU BRAUN manages to make the antagonism the origin of the spectators' unease with the own perception of the here and now. Die Flutung von Victoria is an entirely hand made animated puppet cartoon, the immediacy of which perfectly supports the underlying message.
Additionally, Südwest [loop 1:41 min., HD, 2006/2007] and Fishsoup [10 min., DVD Beta Sp, 2006] are included in ULU BRAUN's first exhibition in Belgium.
The realisation of the four films reflects ULU BRAUN's rigorous working method and the high standard of his technical education and clearly contributes to making the screening a moving event.
ULU BRAUN was born in 1976 in Schongau, Germany. He studied with Christian L. Attersee and Wolfgang Herzig at the University for applied Arts in Vienna, at the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki, Finland and at the University for Film and Television HFF Konrad Wolf in Potsdam, Germany. A handful of Europe-wide solo shows and an amazing number of group exhibitions and video festivals in which he participated make ULU BRAUN one of Europe's video artist with highest expectations. Since 1997, he occasionally co-operates with Roland Seidel under the label BitteBitteJaJa. He lives and works in Berlin.
At the occasion of the exhibition at Brussels Flamingo, a catalogue is published. The films are displayed in specially dedicated spaces.