Watschen-Diskurs

An important function of language can be to make action unnecessary. Simply talking about something often means that nothing need actually be done. In the Watschen-Diskurs (Slapping Discourse) two peculiar dolls face each other. They can only interact with each other in two ways: either by expressing arguments in a strange verbal dispute or by slapping each other in the face. Depending on its present constitution, a doll will allow the other to speak until it can stand it no longer and silences its opponent by striking it. While the two artists agreed on the rules of the setup and the topic of conversation, each artist determined the language content individually. This leads to an absurd, often dadaist, dialog whose rhythm is determined by the frequency of the mutual attacks occurring. The resulting style of conversation may seem familiar to the observer ...

Uli Winters

born 1965, lives in Hamburg. He studied art at the HfbK Hamburg and had a grant from the Günther Peill Stiftung, Düren 1998-2000. He has had various exhibitions since 1991 and received an Honorable Mention from the jury for interactive art at the “Ars Electronica” in 1998 and 1999. Together with Frank Fietzek, he has worked on various projects including Dschungel L.E and Hamster. The two artists developed Watschen-Diskurs especially for “p0es1s.”

> Uli Winters


	Watschen-Diskurs An important function of language can be to make action unnecessary. Simply talking about something often means that nothing need actually be done. In the Watschen-Diskurs (Slapping Discourse) two peculiar dolls face each other. They can only interact with each other in two ways: either by expressing arguments in a strange verbal dispute or by slapping each other in the face. Depending on its present constitution, a doll will allow the other to speak until it can stand it no longer and silences its opponent by striking it. While the two artists agreed on the rules of the setup and the topic of conversation, each artist determined the language content individually. This leads to an absurd, often dadaist, dialog whose rhythm is determined by the frequency of the mutual attacks occurring. The resulting style of conversation may seem familiar to the observer ... Uli Winters born 1965, lives in Hamburg. He studied art at the HfbK Hamburg and had a grant from the Günther Peill Stiftung, Düren 1998-2000. He has had various exhibitions since 1991 and received an Honorable Mention from the jury for interactive art at the “Ars Electronica” in 1998 and 1999. Together with Frank Fietzek, he has worked on various projects including Dschungel L.E and Hamster. The two artists developed Watschen-Diskurs especially for “p0es1s.” > Uli Winters