Gesprächsstaub

The exhibition “Gesprächsstaub” (Conversation Dust) is an overview of a collection of conversations recorded by Zurich artist Mo Diener during various performances. A billboard carried at an art event with the inscription “tell mo about it” leads to direct conversations with visitors about art, making art and collecting art. The conversations are recorded by Mo Diener and then transcribed. The transcription of the spoken word reveals pauses, interrupted sentences and leaps of thought, conveying the unpolished language of immediately expressed thoughts. Words fly, chase each other, falter, twist and turn. Time passes in the flow of speech, and the words become rhythm. The musicality of language pushes past the meaning of words, opening up an additional level.
Mo Diener explores her growing collection of conversations, which for the artist are remnants of an experience that can only be authentic at the moment: in direct conversation. The audio recordings and transcripts have been further edited by Mo Diener. In the message salon, the text booklets, video and audio works of the actions that took place between 2002 and 2004 are now exhibited together for the first time in an installation. The guests at the opening at Perla-Mode may be engaged in a conversation about Mo by Mo, or someone who could be Mo… – “featuring mo about mo”.
For the closing event, Mo Diener has invited musician Trixa Arnold to join her in a joint audio performance. The artists play and improvise with sound snippets, fragments of conversation, old records and record players, mixing voices and melodies, language and rhythm.