Deep Gold, 2013/2014
Deep Gold
2013/2014
1-channel film
B/w, sound
Shot on HD
Converted to HD-SR and transferred onto a hard disk player
Aspect ratio 16:9
Loop, 18 min 12 sec
Edition 6 + 2 ap
Deep Gold (2013/2014) is part of the anthology film The Scorpion’s Sting (2013/2014), that was initiated by the artist-duo M+M. Six artists or artist collectives were invited to work on Luis Buñuel’s groundbreaking and at the time scandalous film L’Âge d'Or (1930). Based on the original episodes, Tobias Zielony, Chicks On Speed, M+M, Keren Cytter, Julian Rosefeldt and John Bock each reinterpreted one of the six filmic sequences.
Rosefeldt’s part, the black-and-white film Deep Gold, recalls a grotesque version of the ‘Golden Age’. It functions as a fictional insert in Buñuel’s original movie, in which the two protagonists, played by Lya Lys and Gaston Modot, try to fulfil their lust for each other, but are constantly separated or disturbed by various obstacles. Buñuel used the motif of amour fou to criticise the restrictions and conventions of the time: the Catholic Church, the political establishment, the bourgeois morality, the aristocracy, etc. It is the final scene before the epilogue, in particular, that becomes a key moment for Rosefeldt’s project. In the garden of a villa Lya Lys suddenly ignores her hitherto desired Modot and instead kisses an old man. Subsequently, Modot freaks out and starts a crazed action in his room, throwing a priest, a burning Christmas tree, a snowplough and a giraffe out of the window. The surprising fact that Buñuel in L’Âge d'Or sets Lya Lys free in her lust and doesn’t bind her desires to Modot, who, quite the opposite, only focusses on her, can be read as a defiant and progressive statement by the Catholic Spanish film maker.
Rosefeldt interpreted this episode as an early and provocative feminist manifesto. Taking this understanding as a starting point for Deep Gold, his version shows a world full of lust and desire, in which a weak male protagonist becomes overwhelmed by an omnipresent female sexuality. The initial suicide of a fool in love marks the entrance into a bizarre 1920s setting: Rosefeldt’s Modot jumps out of the window and awakes in a foggy street – a surrealistic environment rife with bars, brothels, whores, hustlers and naked people strolling around shamelessly. Stunned and confused, he continues his rampage and ends up in a nightclub (Deep Gold), where a lascivious performance widens his eyes and once and for all drives him mad. Promiscuity and freedom from behavioural codes are excessively celebrated at the club, while the protagonist wanders around like a stranger – used to the inhibited bourgeois world he derives from. Throughout the film he embodies a symbol of the constrained modern society Buñuel assaulted in the early twentieth century.
Rosefeldt intertwines his references to Buñuel with up-to-the-minute news: Richard Wagner’s music and a Dalí double encounter topless FEMEN activists and other contemporary feminist protagonists, while wall posters with the Occupy-Wall-Street-slogan ‘We are the 99%’ hint at the parallels between the economic situation of the 1920s and that of today. The aesthetics of the film is akin to the original movie, but the moral and social standards in Deep Gold are those of the present: sexual revolution and the feminist movement reached their pinnacle long ago; promiscuity is reality and pornography is overall disposable.
L. Korndörfer
Exhibitions / Catalogues
– Hypervisuality, Wemhöner Collection, Palazzo Dugnani, Milan, April 2019
– The Inner Skin – Art and Shame, Marta Herford, Herford, March–June 2017 (curated by Friederike Fast)
– Julian Rosefeldt: Works 2001 – 2016, Nikolaj Kunsthal, Copenhagen, March–May 2017 (curated by Helene Nyborg)
– Julian Rosefeldt. Deep Gold, Galeria Helga de Alvear, Madrid, February–April 2017
– Cinéma mon amour. Film in Art, Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau, January–April 2017 (catalogue)
– Moving Time: Video Art at 50: 1965-2015, CAFA Art Museum, Beijing, July–August 2016
– One Artist's One Screen, Solyanka State Gallery, Moscow, June–July 2016
– Fireflies in the Night Take Wing, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), Athens, June 2016
– Julian Rosefeldt. Deep Gold, Landesgalerie Linz, Linz, November 2015–April 2016 (curated by Inga Kleinknecht)
– Zeitgeist: The Art of New Berlin, CCBB, Belo Horizonte, October 2015–January 2016; Rio de Janeiro, January–April 2016; Brasilia,
July–October 2016
– Homosexuality_ies, Schwules Museum* & Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin, September–December 2015; LWL – Museum für
Kunst und Kultur Münster, Münster, May–September 2016
– NGORONGORO. ARTISTWEEKEND 2015, Lehderstrasse 34, Berlin-Weißensee, April–May 2015
– 4th Mediations Biennale, When Nowhere Becomes Here. Berlin Heist, Poznan, September–October 2014 (curated by Shaheen Merali &
Kerimcan Güleryüz; catalogue)
– Fear & Desire, Young Projects, Los Angeles, September–November 2014 (curated by Clement Page)
– Der Stachel des Skorpions. Ein Cadavre exquis nach Luis Buñuels »L'Âge d'Or«, Tobias Zielony, Chicks on Speed, M+M, Keren Cytter,
Julian Rosefeldt und John Bock, Museum Villa Stuck, Munich, March–June 2014; Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt, June–October 2014 (curated by
M+M; catalogue)
Literature
Landesgalerie Linz, ed. Julian Rosefeldt. Deep Gold. Exh. cat. Landesgalerie Linz, Linz. Berlin, 2016.
Film Credits
Franz Hartwig (as Gaston Modot)
Janaina Pessoa (Singing Compère & Naked Hippie Girl)
Suse Wächter (Puppet Master & Prostitute)
Ronni Maciel (as Josephine Baker)
Peaches (as Herself)
Georgie Rowse (Can-Can Partisan & Dancer)
Dorothea Günther (Can-Can Partisan & Dancer)
Laura Matheson (Can-Can Partisan & Dancer)
Coraline Arnaud (Can-Can Dancer)
Lisa Jost (Can-Can Partisan)
La Rubinia (Burlesque Dancer)
Fräulein Pepper (Burlesque Dancer)
Nicola Mascia (Queer Performer)
Matan Zamir (Queer Performer)
Nile Koetting (Doggy)
Sylvia Schmid (as Anita Berber)
Joanna Hay (as Anita Berber)
Antonio Mesones (Partisan & Man Doing Cocaine)
Claudia de Serpa Soares (Circus Drummer & Baby in Buggy)
Jule Böwe (Topless Woman & Naked Shopper)
Paula Alamillo (Naked Shopper & Young Naked Dancing Woman)
Jakub Zaremba (Transvestite & Hustler)
Andrea Ventura (Man with Cigar & as Salvador Dalí)
and
Steffi Niederzoll, Dagmar Leibham, Andrea Ventura, Thomas Ahlers, Melissa Holroyd, Boris Eldagsen, Mark Gisbourne, Eva-Maria May, Wassili Zygouris, Grayson Millwood, Davide Camplani, Tommy Noonan, Lisa Densem, Erol Alexandrov, Leon Magalhaes Schoyerer, Camila Rhodi, Prudence Densem, Dora Zygouri, Siegesmund Klee, Karl Robert Niehaus, Katja Scholz, Luanda Bem, Santiago Ydañez, Sveva Castelli, Tatjana Patzschke, Mayra Magalhaes Sexauer, Sanja Lukjancenko, Manolo Bautista, Luis Rosefeldt, Alexander Spree, Gesina von Schröder, Antonio de Palma, Mark Standley, Christian Hölzke, Dennis Grunow, Paula Faraco, Florencia Rojas, Hans-Jörn Brandenburg, Bea Colonia Castano, Elisabeth Bigai, Klaus Biniok, Matthias Harder, Christian Hölzke, Antonio de Palma, Etienne Pixa, Alexandra Schicketanz, Laura Tratnik, Viktor Jakovleski, Nadja Zielke, Sabine Unglaube, Tobias Sirtl, Cordelia Grebler, Violetta von Pressburg, Carsten Fiebeler, Anastasia Bain, Maria Elisa Gerace, Christina Landbrecht, Helen Suhr, Amélie Miloy, Vinzeso Fesi, Rui Calçada Bastos, Marcus Steinberg, Juan Pedro Freyre, Annika Kuhlmann, Alice Sheppan, Julie Burchardi, Miriam Schoofs, Ivo Wessel, Barbara Haubrok, Axel Haubrok, Ana Dugalic, Ellen Hofmann, Mignon Gräsle, Ginger Synne, Kirsten Gerlach, Sanja Lukjancenko, Florian Günzel, Mario Hoff, Anita Walter, Patrick Walter, Wille Zante, Jeewi Lee, Sandra Meyerratken, Katrin Pfirrmann, Victor Salgado, Olaf Stüber, Adrian Shephard, Del Keens, Wolfgang Schreiber, Natalija Martinovic, Tim Jürgens, Roswitha Rumpf-Dost, Bernd Rumpf, Michael Hansch, Gerhard Mey, Jana von dem Berge, Andres Herwig, Julia Schleichen-Ost, Zemmoa
Musicians: Hans-Jörn Brandenburg – Piano, Paul Brody – Trumpet, Valentin Butt – Accordion, Joe Bauer – Drums, Elisabeth King – Piano, Tobias Fuchs – Drums, Chico Mello – Guitar
Line Producer: Wassili Zygouris
Director of Photography: Christoph Krauss
Production Designer: Alexander Wolf
Costume Designer: Birgitt Kilian
Hair & Make-up Designer: Julia Böhm
Puppets: Suse Wächter
Musical Direction: Hans-Jörn Brandenburg
Editor: Bobby Good
1st AD: Lisa Hauss
Unit Manager: Maars van Haaften
Set Manager: Sven Jorden
Sound Recordist: David Hilgers
Sound Design: Fabian Schmidt
Re-recording Coordinator: Tschangis Chahrokh-Zadeh
Re-recordist: Mathias Maydl
Foley Artist: Felix Kratzer
Foley Recordist: Alexander Würtz
Voice-over Recordist: Lajos Wienkamp
Postproduction Supervisor: Julia Dobler
VFX & Online: Sebastian Mietzner
Colourist: Nico Hauter
Assistant Set Manager: Carolina Ronzino
2nd AD: Juliane Walker
2nd AD: Jan Filkorn
Extras Coordinator: Maria Friedemann
Set Decorator: Sina Welle
Set Decorator: Tino Knoche
Assistant Set Decorator: Jana Barthel
1. Assistant Costume Designer: Kerstin Feldmann
2. Assistant Costume Designer: Uta Müller
Wardrobe: Katharina Drescher
Costume Trainee: Kerstin Griesshaber
Costume Trainee: Julia Schleichen-Ost
Hair & Make-up Artist: Katja Hamburger
Hair & Make-up Artist: Julia Serowski
Hair & Make-up Artist: Katja Schulze
Hair & Make-up Artist: Anna Evenkamp
Hair & Make-up Artist: Miriam Hübner
Hair & Make-up Artist: Sandra Strauhs
Hair & Make-up Artist: Josephine Otte
1st AC: Gregor Grieshaber
2nd AC: Julian Rabus
Steadicam Operator: Sergio Gazzera
Steadicam Operator: Matthias Biber
Assistant Steadicam Operator: Lorenz Ackermann
Gaffer: Dirk Domcke
Gaffer: Dirk Hilbert
Best Boy: Heiko Grund
Electrician: Sampo Lüttge
Key Grip: Alexander Zielke
Grip: Michl Scheibe
Boom Operator: Oliver Göbel
SFX-Supervisor: Claudius Rauch
Still Photographer: Barbara Schmidt
Still Photographer: Martin König
Making Of: Maximilian Werkhausen
Making Of: Eve Sussman
Driver: Tobias Pothmann
Driver: Daniel Bruss
Driver: Marcel Siegner
Car Motion Service GmbH Cars
Insurance: A Huber & Co. GmbH
Location Service: Block & Graphics GmbH
Location Security: N.L.C. Dienstleistungs GmbH
Catering: Stars Dinner Express GmbH
Music:
Hans-Jörn Brandenburg, Deep Gold Tango, Ragtime Nouveau, Can Can Gold, Golden Opium, Peaches, Shake Yer Dix, Richard Wagner, Isoldes Liebestod, aus Tristan und Isolde, Daniel Barenboïm & The West Eastern Divan Orchestra, Isolde: Waltraud Meier
Acknowledgements:
Barbara Gross Galerie, Studio Babelsberg AG, Arri Rental Deutschland GmbH, Arri Film & TV Services GmbH, Theaterkunst GmbH, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz Berlin, Hans Otto Theater Potsdam, Wellenstein zeitgenössische Kostüme, Blush Dessous, Die kleine Nachtrevue, Blue Sky Promotion, Delphi Stummfilmkino, Per Aspera Productions, Bohème Sauvage, Agentur Filmgesichter, Misfit Models, SFX Department Berlin Special Effects GmbH, Nefzers Babelsberg GmbH, Bernhard Mühlbauer Oldtimervermietung, Lichtblick Bühnentechnik, Hotel Berlin, Berlin, Hotel Sylter Hof
Special Thanks to:
M+M, Ralf Beil, Michael Buhrs, Barbara Gross, Christoph Fisser, Michael Düwel, Eike Wolf, Uwe Schehr, Eckhardt Wolf, Michael Guthke, Daniel Stuber, Ute Baron, Stefan Düll, Gabriele Huber, Wolf Bosse, Sepp Reidinger, Tschangis Chahrokh-Zadeh, Adi Woitinek, Laura Gorzellik, Jürgen Schwämmle, Michael Herbell, Gerd Feuchter, Uli Nefzer, Matthias Fehrenbach, Sven Herrmann, Thomas Ostermeier, Tobias Veit, Johanna Ragwitz, Sylvia Schmid, Birgit Raabe, Nikola Fölster, Susanne Franke, Dagmar Fabisch, Jörg Schildbach, Claudia Kleinert, Hanse Warns, Heike Parplies, Lars Eidinger, Janaina Pessoa
Supported by:
Barbara Gross Galerie, Munich
Produced in the context of the exhibition Der Stachel des Skorpions. A Cadavre Exquis after Buñuel's „L'Âge d'Or“ with Tobias Zielony, Chicks on Speed , M+M, Keren Cytter, Julian Rosefeldt, John Bock. Concept: M+M. A joint project of the Museum Villa Stuck Munich and the Institut Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt, funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation and Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain, 2014.
Shot at Filmstudio Babelsberg and on location in Berlin, November/December 2013
Written, directed and produced by Julian Rosefeldt
All rights reserved © Julian Rosefeldt