What the audience experienced on Friday evening at the Steinmühle Forum was undoubtedly great art: While three musicians sang and played traditional folk songs from the 12th to the 19th centuries, the lyrics were illustrated in a unique and extraordinary way. Using sand painting with her hands, artist Anne Löper brought all the stories to life. For over 60 minutes, she seamlessly depicted the events on her light table, the surface of which was projected directly onto a screen for the audience to see.
Just like a human life, the content of the stories was not always cheerful. In fact, as a viewer, one should have felt melancholy at one point or another in the text, especially in combination with the music and the deep reddish-brown tones of the images. However, the artist’s painting captivated the viewer so completely that melancholy thoughts didn’t stand a chance. One could only marvel at how the sand artist rendered all the scenes, moods, seasons, and locations so realistically and unmistakably in the blink of an eye, following the narrative directly onto the canvas. The painter’s uninterrupted activity alone—without even a second’s pause—was a masterful feat. With seemingly little effort—yet inimitably skillful to a layperson—she created, for example, the most expressive faces. No wonder the audience in the packed Forum applauded enthusiastically and seemed almost unable to stop.
“Katherlyn’s Journey,” as this timeless performance was titled, is a new project by tenor and Steinmühle music teacher Daniel Sans, in collaboration with bagpiper Thomas Zöller and harpsichordist and singer Ute Riemer. Through their lyrics, the musicians tell a story that sand artist AnneLöper illustrates in an enchanting way. This special concert fit all the more naturally into the Steinmühle’s program because art classes had already established a connection to music and highlighted synergies. To the observer, this seems like a rewarding approach that turns even the less-seasoned art lover into a “fan.” More of this, please!
