Regen (1978)
Christine Koenigs belongs to the first batch of Dutch video artists. She left her mark on the conceptual art of the 1960s and 1970s. Regen / Rain is the oldest work in New Grounds: Falling. This 35 mm film from 1978 makes the phenomenon of falling rain palpable. Accompanied by a soundtrack of wind and precipitation, the work moves from rhythmically falling raindrops to an abstract interplay of lines and a violent downpour that deprives any view…until the sky clears up again. It is unclear whether the artist is foreshadowing an abstracted and conceptual idea of rain or whether the 1978 recording techniques cannot register the speed of falling. What is clear is that Regen / Rain is hypnotic and overwhelming, leaving the viewer – a little unstably – searching for solid, dry ground.