bråten (2018) is the third video based on Ottar Ormstad’s "telefonkatalogdiktet" (‘the phonebook poem’), a book of concrete poetry published in Norway by Samlaget (2006). For this language research project, Ormstad read (!) the phonebook of Oslo 2004 and selected names on a poetic basis. In the book the names are presented visually as concrete poetry. Most of the names are strongly connected to Norwegian and describe phenomena in nature. The video is based on one page in the book only, where all names ends with 'bråten', the Norwegian word for a farmland where the original forest was cultivated by burning.
'bråten' is the fifth work of a collection of video poems created by the Norwegian-Russian duo OTTARAS (Ottar Ormstad and Taras Mashtalir), this time with the Russian video-artist Yan Kalnberzin. Through this work, Norwegian language turns into international sound poetry. Ormstad's collection of family names present in Oslo’s phonebook at the time of reading are exposed and read by the author while performing to Mashtalir's pulsating music. Is everyone connected to each other in the sphere that is shaping before the viewer's eyes? How do names and language relate to the atmospheric scapes Kalnberzin creates of geometric forms and abstract shapes?
'bråten' exists in different versions made for screening and live performance. Raising awareness of electronic poetry and sonic ecology, attracting new audience to a potent yet to come genre is the inspiration for this collaboration.
The video is produced in HD 16:9 in b/w, stereo.
Duration: 04:00 mins
Animation: Yan Kalnberzin
Music: Taras Mashtalir
Concrete poetry, voice & production: Ottar Ormstad
© Ottar Ormstad 2018
