Series of Works
Reagenzobjekt
Object, work on paper
1991
The installation Reagenzobjekt [Reagent Object] dating from 1991 comprises 60 test tubes filled with paraffin and Cassel earth. Paraffin is a modified form of lignite, or brown coal, which makes it a chemical derivative that is produced from lignite, just like Cassel earth.
Layering both materials at different intervals and hanging the test tubes in a straight line next to each other gives the impression of a rhythmic back and forth between the light and dark, and between various white and brown tones. The artist intended from the start that it would trigger associations with the notes and music of a composed score:
“At the start I experimented with the test tubes in order to resolve technical problems. There were issues, for example, with the individual components becoming mixed, or the liquid wax leaving splashes on the glass sides while being filled. Parallel to this experiment, I kept on developing the object with sketches. Over time I created lots of different filled test tubes, and then I selected specific ones and arranged them to form a musical score.”1
While working on Reagenzobjekt, Weyermann explored experimental scores such as those by John Cage. A second reference are the images of DNA analyses, incorporating methods used for sequencing, analysis and manipulation.
1 Cited in Weyermann, Maja: “Telephone call with Maja Weyermann, 14 November 2013”from: Hochschule der Künste Bern (ed.), Untersuchungs- und Konservierungsdokumentation [Exploratory and Conservation Documentation], Bern 2013, p. 24.