Hashigo (2014)
Hashigo is the Japanese word for ladder. Like a sculpture, this object stands still in a vast and grey landscape, captured on a grainy 16mm film. The poetic image is full of associations with the Bible and art history, including the filmed performances of Bas Jan Ader from the 1970s. Ader disappears from view as he falls from a sloping roof or into the bushes. L.G. Kramer’s fall is caught, like a rock star by the audience. Stage diving was a source of inspiration, as a rock star who is literally carried on hands also only exists thanks to their audience. L.G. Kramer takes a risk when he lets go, three times in a row without looking, from a height that can be fatal. The video in three acts maintains a strong tension through the total surrender to, and blind trust in the other. A trust that contrasts with the soothingly grey landscape.