Oracle


A sound installation in public space (Turbinenplatz, Zurich) by Justin Bennett


The Oracle of Zurich was made for the art in public space project Gasträume. It is a self-contained unit with timer and loudspeaker. Situated in a public square near a bench, it plays a text at random intervals. The Oracle makes predictions, but it also pronounces wise statements, comments about the environment, about art, offers personal advice, riddles, instructions for performative actions, or political observations. It attempts to answer all questions, especially those that the visitor didn’t ask.


The texts were written, translated and collected by Justin Bennett, Stéphanie Templier and Renate Zentschnig. There are about 500 different possible predictions. The texts were inspired by, among other things: the Delphic utterances, I Ching, Nostradamus, Eno/Schmidt’s Oblique Strategies, Situationist International, Kerndenkers by André Garitte, Jean Luc Godard’s One plus one, George Brecht, Confucius.

 


Supported by: Barbara Seiler Galerie and Stroom Den Haag

Production: Barbara Seiler Gallery, Die Arbeitsgruppe Kunst im öffentlichen Raum Zürich