Photo Gordon Welters.
JULIA STOSCHEK is one of the most important collectors of time-based art. For almost two decades, she has dedicated herself to the preservation, presentation, and mediation of art that unfolds in time – film, video, and performance. Her collection is unique worldwide, and her perspective on the medium is precise and uncompromising. For her, art is not a static entity but an experience that develops through the interplay of space and time.
‘I still remember the first time I experienced Line Describing a Cone. Suddenly, there was this light in the room – not a flat projection, but a sculpture. A circle that slowly, almost ceremoniously, expands from a single point. In a dark room, a 16mm projector projects a fine line onto the screen over the course of 30 minutes, gradually closing into a complete circle. Through the fog, the beam of light becomes visible, forming a three-dimensional, walkable sculpture of light. You no longer just stand in front of it – you step into the work, move within it, and alter it with every movement. Anthony McCall, with this piece, has translated film from the flat surface into a physical experience. For me, Line Describing a Cone symbolises the shift from passive consumption to active participation – because it unfolds in time, and the viewer can only fully experience it through movement. Here, time is not just a framework but the very material of the sculpture – it shapes the work and brings it to life. That is precisely what fascinates me about time-based art.’