Ulrich Ludat

Ulrich Ludat, born in 1959, studied Romance languages, philosophy and musicology in Germany and Italy. This was followed by studies in music (artistic-instrumental) and music education at the Saarland University of Music and Theatre (today: HfM Saar). Parallel to his many years of pedagogical activity as a music teacher (instrumental, school), he is mainly active artistically. From 1990 to 2006 he directed and managed the ensemble for astounding music [archae.o.pteryx], with which he performed - now and then also internationally - numerous world premieres of works composed especially for it.

After the turn of the millennium, Ludat increasingly turned away from pedagogy and 'forced' but consistently turned to the arts, repeatedly garnished with temporary excursions into other professional spheres, which he partly stylized into artistic projects. He composes musical works, is active as a (long-term) performance artist and realizes sometimes elaborate installations. He increasingly uses 'extra-musical' means (audio/sonography, photography, text, videography, etc.), whereby the origin from music is unmistakable due to the use of sound (often: field recording) and inclusion of rhythmic phenomena.

Ludat defines himself tongue-in-cheek as an artist (sic!) who "looks with his ears - and listens with his eyes". He also notes that - for him - art and life can be distinguished from each other in a strongly decreasing tendency and is consequently an adept of the aesthetics of Georg W. Bertram ( Art as Human Practice ), which he intends to continue; practically, also theoretically.

Ludat lives in Saarbrücken and works wherever it is possible for him to do so; as someone who is heavily dependent on (among other things, public) subsidies, he also works - often by driving - in non-artistic (sic!) spheres, according to the motto "The main thing is to be in constant (intellectual) movement. The Saarland, puzzlingly, can hardly follow him in this, although the Ministry of Culture there acquired from him in 2022 an - interesting: static-looking - triptych artwork entitled 'further away', whereas the oh-so-patronising Landtag of the Saarland cannot bring itself to acquire the artwork entitled 'geballte macht' ("concentrated potency"; large view of the privates of a stallion). Last but not least, it is worth mentioning: At Manifesta 12 Palermo (2018), Ludat wins the photography prize with a tribute to the great photographer Letizia Battaglia (1935-2022), which is awarded to him two years later at Manifesta 13 Marseille . He participated informally in Manifesta 14 Prishtinë (2022) (as he did in documenta 14 Athens and others); he is expressly not invited to the 2023 Saarland State Art Exhibition , but is guaranteed to participate (informally). — Addition: Ludat might hear with his eyes and see with his ears, but he is writing with his hands; and (importantly): He is always 'disturbed' by smaller ones in his larger projects.