‘Eine schwierige Sache’
Jos de Gruyter & Harald Thys
By analogy with the exhibition “Dépression à Dortmund” , a few years ago, 4 cinemas were made according to Warsprong’s principle for “ Eine schwierige Sache”* – the new exhibition by Jos de Gruyter & Harald Thys. These cinemas are made entirely of wood and glued with Superglue. They are each 34 centimetres high, 32 centimetres wide and 30 centimetres deep. The cinema halls were each given a different colour: poison green, lilac, silver and orange. Each cinema hall holds 19 spectators. 19 poison green spectators, 19 lilac spectators, 19 silver spectators and 19 orange spectators. A total of 76 spectators. The spectators are also made of wood. The mechanism of “Eine schwierige Sache” runs like a carousel. In the 4 cinema halls, 4 films by both artists are shown. While one of the films plays for 19 spectators, the 57 other spectators watch interludes. These interludes show life in the animal kingdom, ranging from termites to elephants. For example, when a film by the 2 artists plays in the poison green room, the 3 other cinemas watch an interlude. The film ends in the poison green hall. Another film starts in the lilac hall. An interlude now plays in the poison green hall and so on. Until all 76 spectators have seen all the films and all the interludes. The whole show is lit by a red lantern.
Spectators are also called “minus”. They undergo the films they watch. What they think of the films remains a mystery.
* A difficult matter
Cinema Minus (Orange)
2025
Small wooden cinema room painted orange, spectators, small projector, in the base mediaplayer & speaker
175 x 85 x 56 cm
Cinema Minus (Lila)
2025
Small wooden cinema room painted lila, spectators, small projector, in the base mediaplayer & speaker
175 x 85 x 56 cm
Cinema Minus (Silver)
2025
Small wooden cinema room painted silver, spectators, small projector, in the base mediaplayer & speaker
175 x 85 x 56 cm
Cinema Minus (Poison Green)
2025
Small wooden cinema room painted poison green, spectators, small projector, in the base mediaplayer & speaker
175 x 85 x 56 cm
Cinema Minus (Orange)
2025
Small wooden cinema room painted orange, spectators, small projector, in the base mediaplayer & speaker
175 x 85 x 56 cm
Detail of the video ‘Pasta Fatal’ (2024) by Jos de Gruyter & Harald Thys
Cinema Minus (Lila)
2025
Small wooden cinema room painted lila, spectators, small projector, in the base mediaplayer & speaker
175 x 85 x 56 cm
Detail of the video ‘Der Schlamm von Branst (the clay from Branst) (2008) by Jos de Gruyter & Harald Thys
Cinema Minus (Poison Green)
2025
Small wooden cinema room painted poison green, spectators, small projector, in the base mediaplayer & speaker
175 x 85 x 56 cm
Detail of the video ‘The Frigate‘ (2008) by Jos de Gruyter & Harald Thys
Cinema Minus (Silver)
2025
Small wooden cinema room painted poison green, spectators, small projector, in the base mediaplayer & speaker
175 x 85 x 56 cm
Detail of the video ‘About the relationship between the real world and the parallel world‘ (2010) by Jos de Gruyter & Harald Thys
Cinema Minus (Orange)
Cinema Minus (Poison Green)
Cinema Minus (Silver)
Cinema Minus (Lila)
Cinema Minus (Orange) + Detail Video: fixed animal Observation camera
Cinema Minus (Poison Green) + Detail Video: fixed animal Observation camera
Cinema Minus (Lila) + Detail Video: fixed animal Observation camera
Cinema Minus (Silver) + Detail Video: fixed animal Observation camera