A spectacle full of art and emotions – Press Release
Olympiacos presented the celebrations for winning the 45th league title in his history, on July 16th 2020 in an online press conference, three days before the celebration.
The Sport Director of Olympiacos, Christian Karembeu, revealed the title of the festive event and talked about the solution found through technology for the team to celebrate winning the title with its fans.
“We are really happy because today we have the unique opportunity to talk about an important celebration. Our party this year is entitled ‘The lights of hope’. We have the pleasure to celebrate the 45th championship in the history of our club. Like any team in the world, we would like to celebrate the conquest with our fans. Because of the pandemic, we had to find a solution. I would very much like to talk about the great season we had, about our great victories, about our winning streaks and, of course, about the fact that we have the opportunity to add another title to the history of Olympiacos. I want to add at this moment the initiatives of Mr. Evangelos Marinakis, both in Greece and abroad, because he was always present where there was a need. The show you will watch will be unique, it will be great, it will be full of art and emotions, because football is all about emotions. Therefore, stay safe.”
The internationally renowned artist, Asteris Kutulas, gave details about what will be presented on Sunday night at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium.
“I thank Olympiacos and Christian very much for his words, for inviting me to contribute to the celebration. I’m a Greek living abroad, I live in Berlin and my occupation is show creation. I was invited by Olympiacos to find a solution for how we’ll celebrate the conquest of the 45th championship in an empty stadium under corona circumstances. I developed an emotional concept, that the people of Olympiacos liked and that in the end will take place. We’ll bring the fans of Olympiacos, who will be outside the stadium, inside it, but without actually entering! This will be made in a way that they can celebrate with the players at the time of the award ceremony. This will be the emotional peak of the celebration we are preparing. Earlier, there will be a huge multimedia show that will consist of video and laser projections, lights, pyrotechnics and fireworks. We’ll have a children’s choir and Antonis Dimitriadis, who is the musical director of the whole event. Music always plays a big role in these multimedia shows. It’s the cornerstone of the project. It will combine international pieces with a wonderful composition by Marios Ioannou Elia. Upon it will be built all the whole stadium show.
We want to send a message of optimism and hope, from Olympiacos to the world, from Piraeus to the world, from Olympiacos and Piraeus to Greece. We combine the event of the stadium with a multimedia show in Pasalimani, which will also be televised. It will connect music with images made of architectural lasers and lots of fireworks and sparklers. We want Pasalimani to become red and blue. This will be accompanied with the music of the two emblematic composers, Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis, from two emblematic films, “The Children of Piraeus” and “Zorba”. The music has been exceptionally remixed by Antonis Dimitriadis and Alexandros Karozas and will give us the basis for amazing images that will be broadcasted all around the world. Moreover, “The Children of Piraeus” were also filmed on the clock of Piraeus and this way we can remember the 100 years of Melina Mercouri. I’m a child of East Germany and I was very happy when the Berlin Wall fell. Here symbolically we do something similar. Through Art and Technology, we tear down the wall of pandemic and bring the fans close to the players in the field.
It is a very special challenge for me. For all of us artists across Europe, it’s a time of crisis, a time of forced contemplation because everything has been cancelled. Under these circumstances, to give such a sign of hope and optimism is something very special. What we are doing here is the first such event to take place across Europe. When I had the first brainstorm sessions on this project, I met Mr. Marinakis and saw on his arm a tattoo that read “dream”, “love”, “create”, “fight”, “win”, words that are a slogan in football, sports, art and life. They apply everywhere and are humanitarian values. I identified with it and I got inspiration to get to this point, because both football and art unite people. Let’s do something for the people of Piraeus, for the Greeks and for the whole world”.
BERLIN – THE MILLENNIUM EVENT VICTORY COLUMN BERLIN, DECEMBER 31ST 1999
MUSIC COMPOSED AND PERFORMED BY MIKE OLDFIELD
Art Director, Light & Pyro Design Gert Hof Event General Management by Asteris Kutulas
Programming & Operators Jens Probst & Gerry Appelt Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG Fireworks Nico Feuerwerk GmbH Balloons Helicon GmbH Berlin Produced by Achim Perleberg & Egon Banghardt An Art in Heaven Production
FERROPOLIS – THE CITY OF STEEL OPENING CELEBRATION, JULY 16TH 2000
MUSIC COMPOSED AND CONDUCTED BY MIKIS THEODORAKIS
Art & Video Director, Light & Pyro Design Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Kutulas for the Expo 2000 Sachsen-Anhalt GmbH & the Government of Sachsen-Anhalt
Technical Director Gerd Helinski Programming & Operator Stephan Aue Pyro & Fireworks Pyro-Art Feuerwerke GmbH Berlin Light Equipment & Balloons Helicon GmbH Berlin Space Cannon Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG
BUDAPEST – THE MILLENNIUM EVENT 1000 YEARS OF HUNGARY, AUGUST 20TH 2000
MUSIC BY ROBERT ERDESZ
Art & Video Director, Light & Pyro Design Gert Hof Event General Management & Production Asteris Kutulas
Produced by Asteris Kutulas, Happy End Kft. & Art in Heaven GmbH for the Government of Hungary Executive Producer Tim Dowdall Programming & Operator Stephan Aue Technical Direction & Local Support Multimedia (Europe) Ltd. Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG Balloons Helicon GmbH Berlin, Director: Gerd Helinski Pyro & Fireworks Boom Boom Productions, California
BEIJING – THE MILLENNIUM EVENT CHINA MILLENNIUM MONUMENT, DECEMBER 31ST 2000
MUSIC BY KLAUS SCHULZE
Art Director, Light & Pyro Design Gert Hof Event Management & Production Asteris Kutulas
Produced by Beijing Gehua Cultural Development Co., Beijing Television, Shanghai Eastern Television, Art in Heaven GmbH & Asteris Kutulas for the Chinese Government Executive Producer Tim Dowdall & LogistiX Technical Director Gerd Helinski Programming & Operator Stephan Aue Space Cannon Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG Light, Laser & Neon Equipment Gehua Beijing Pyro & Fireworks Ikebun Co. Ltd. Japan
DRESDEN SHINES AGAIN – THE BENEFIT EVENT SEMPER OPERA HOUSE, DECEMBER 7TH 2002
MUSIC BY JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Art Director, Light & Pyro Design Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Kutulas for the State of Saxony
A Light Monuments Production Technical Director Gerd Helinski Programming & Operator Jens Probst Pyro & Fireworks Pyro-Art Berlin Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG
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ATHENS – DAY OF EUROPE THE ACROPOLIS EVENT, MAY 9TH 2003
MUSIC BY MIKIS THEODORAKIS PERFORMED BY GEORGE DALARAS
Art Director, Light & Pyro Design Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Koutoulas for the General Governor of Athens and Piraeus, the European Commission, the Greek Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the European Parliament
Event Coordination Vassilis Riziotis & Dimitris Koutoulas Technical Director Harald Günthert Programming & Operator Jens Probst Artist Management Anna Dalaras Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG Hamburg Pyro & Fireworks Nanos Fireworks Athens Local Production Art Hellas Athens A Light Monuments Production
ATLANTIC CITY – LIGHTS OF FREEDOM THE TRUMP TAJ MAHAL EVENT, JULY 26TH 2003
MUSIC BY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Art Director, Light & Pyro Design Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Kutulas for the Donald Trump Organization
Event Coordination Michael B. Sladden Programming & Operator Jens Probst Production Management Ed Puntin Light Equipment Syncrolite, LP Dallas Pyro & Fireworks by Grucci, Inc. A Light Monuments Production
„It was a pleasure welcoming Berlin director Gert Hof and his producer Asteris Koutoulas to the USA. Gert used 80 SS/SX7Ks with Pigis from Fourth Phase and some pyro from Gucci. The show was visible for 20 miles around Atlantic City and created quite a stir among the blasé Americans who believe they have seen it all.
Gert Hof is part 21st century technologist and part P.T. Barnum whose main goal is to create a lasting and remembered impression on the mind … Gert Hof developed an explosive style that is uniquely qualified to celebrate the triumph of the human spirit. His show explodes with light, pyro, sound, colour and grand images. He is obsessed with the power of light as are those of us who make the tools of his trade.“
MOSCOW – DAY OF CITY CELEBRATION THE RED SQUARE EVENT, SEPTEMBER 6TH 2003
MUSIC PERFORMED BY THE SCORPIONS & THOMAS ANDERS
Art Director, Light, Neon, Laser & Pyro Design Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Kutulas for the Municipality of Moscow
Co-Produced by Multimedia International Budapest & JSA Moscow Event Coordination Alexander Strizhak Executive Producers Tim Dowdall & Valery Feofanow Technical Director Gerd Helinski Programming & Operator Jens Probst Production Management Kostya Bryanka Production Coordination Gleb Kharchenko Stage & Local Production JSA Moscow Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG Hamburg (Space Cannons) Light Equipment A & O Bremen (Syncrolite) Neon Installation Multimedia International Budapest Pyro & Fireworks Piro Show Moscow Laser Equipment Laser Kinetiks Moscow Logistics Bauer Concept Berlin A Light Monuments Production
POZNAN – THE OLD BREWERY OPENING EVENT NOVEMBER 5TH 2003
MUSIC COMPOSED & PERFORMED BY KLAUS SCHULZE
Art Director, Light & Pyro Design Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Koutoulas for Fortis Sp. z o.o. & Grazyna Kulczyk
Co-Produced by Viva Art Music Warsaw Event Coordination Marek Szpendowski Technical Director Gerd Helinski Programming Jens Probst Operator Jan Schröter Production Coordination Marek Debski Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG Hamburg Pyro & Fireworks Pyro Art Berlin Stage & Local Production Viva Art Music Warsaw
BERLIN – EUROPEAN ACCESSION NIGHT THE GENDARMENMARKT EVENT, APRIL 30TH 2004
MUSIC BY PETER THOMAS PERFORMED BY JOCELYN B. SMITH & THE SCHÖNEBERGER SÄNGERKNABEN
Art Director, Light, Neon & Pyro Design Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Kutulas for the Presidents of the European Parliament (Pat Cox), the European Commission (Romano Prodi) & the European Council (Bertie Ahern)
Event Coordination Stephan Reichenberger Technical Director Gerd Helinski Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG Hamburg Neon Installation Multimedia International Budapest Fireworks Flash Art GmbH Pyro Effects Daniel Schwartz
MALTA – WELCOME EUROPE THE FORT ST. ANGELO EVENT, MAY 1ST 2004
MUSIC BY ROGER WATERS
Art Director, Laser, Light & Pyro Design Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Koutoulas for the “Welcome Europe” Consortium, the Maltese Government and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
Executive Producer Tim Dowdall Event Coordination Andrew Zweck & Nigel Camillieri Technical Director Steffen Brandt Programming & Operator Jens Probst Programming Laser Daniel Brune Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG Hamburg Projections E/T/C UK Ltd. & Ross Ashton Pyro & Fireworks Flash Art GmbH Pyro Effects Daniel Schwartz Fireworks & Pyro Coordination Felix Wolff Laser Equipment laserfabrik showlaser GmbH Logistics Bauer Concept Berlin Producers & Local Partner NnG Promotions
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MOTÖRHEAD – STAGE FRIGHT PHILIPSHALLE DUSSELDORF, DECEMBER 7TH 2004
MUSIC PERFORMED BY MOTÖRHEAD
Stage & Light Design Gert Hof Executive Producer Ulrike Rudolph for SPV Gert Hof Management & Light Production by Asteris Kutulas for SPV
Production Manager Steffen Brandt Technical & Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG Hamburg An SPV Production
NUREMBERG – THE CCN EVENT OPENING CEREMONY OF THE CONGRESS CENTRE EAST, APRIL 17TH 2005
MUSIC BY SERGEJ RACHMANINOW
Art Director, Neon & Pyro Design Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Kutulas for the Congress Centre Nuremberg
Technical Director Steffen Brandt Programming & Operator Jens Probst Neon Installation Multimedia International Budapest Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG Hamburg Pyro Effects Sven Asamoa
GALLIPOLI (TURKEY) – IN MEMORIAM SON ET LUMIERE THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ANZAC DAY, APRIL 25TH 2005
MUSIC BY TOMASO ALBINONI
Art Director, Light & Pyro Design Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Koutoulas for the Australian Government
Event Coordination Andrew Zweck Technical Director Steffen Brandt Programming & Operator Jens Probst Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG Hamburg Pyro Effects Sven Asamoa & Daniel Schwartz Logistics Bauer Concept Berlin
MAGDEBURG – HEAVEN SYMPHONY MAGDEBURG CATHEDRAL, CELEBRATION OF THE 1,200 YEARS OF MAGDEBURG, MAY 7TH 2005
MUSIC BY HILDEGARD VON BINGEN, ANTONIO VIVALDI, GIACOMO PUCCINI, CARL ORFF & THE SCORPIONS
Art Director, Fireworks & Pyro Design Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Koutoulas for the Municipality of Magdeburg
Technical Director Michael Casper Pyro & Fireworks Flash Art GmbH Pyro Effects Sven Asamoa Production, Light Equipment, Sound & Stage Procon MultiMedia AG Hamburg
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ATHENS – TOGETHER IN FRIENDSHIP THE TOWN HALL ATHENS EVENT, JUNE 11TH 2005
MUSIC BY MIKIS THEODORAKIS
Art Director, Fireworks & Pyro Design Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Koutoulas for the Municipality of Athens
OMAN – LIGHT FROM THE ARAB WORLD THE 35TH NATIONAL DAY & REIGN ANNIVERSARY OF HIS MAJESTY SULTAN QABOOS MUSCAT, NOVEMBER 22ND 2005
MUSIC BY CHRISTIAN STEINHÄUSER
Art Director, Light, Laser, Boat & Pyro Design Gert Hof Event Concept Dimitris Tziotis/ Cleverbank Athens Produced by Asteris Koutoulas for the Government of Oman
Production Coordination Dimitris Koutoulas Technical Director Steffen Brandt Production Management Norman Bauer Programming & Operator Jens Probst Programming Fireworks & Pyro Markus Katterle Programming Laser Daniel Brune Boat Coordinator Gerd Helinski Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG Hamburg Fireworks FlashArt GmbH Laser laserfabrik showlaser GmbH Pyro Effects Sven Asamoa Projections Ross Ashton – E/T/C UK Ltd. Sound Equipment Black Box Music Berlin
LVIV (UKRAINE) – THE 750TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT OPERA HOUSE SQUARE, SEPTEMBER 30TH 2006
MUSIC COMPOSED & CONDUCTED BY RUSLANA
Art Director, Light, Laser, Neon & Pyro Design Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Kutulas for the Municipality of Lviv
Production coordination Norman Bauer Technical Director Steffen Brandt Light Operator Jens Probst Local Logistics Manager Taras Shykh Fireworks Director Markus Katterle Pyro Director Sven Asamoa Laser Programming Daniel Brune Light Equioment Procon MultiMedia AG Pyro & Fireworks Flash Art GmbH Laser Equipment laserfabrik showlaser gmbH Logistics Bauer Concept Berlin
ANTWERP & ARNHEM – ANOUK LIVE IN CONCERT MARCH 2008
MUSIC BY ANOUK
Light & Stage Design by Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Koutoulas for Live Nation Holland
Programming & Operator Jens Probst Light Director Steffen Brandt Production Management Flip van Ommeren Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG & A&O Lighting A Live Nation Holland Production
VILNIUS – 1000 YEARS OF LITHUANIA & EUROPEAN CULTURAL CAPITAL 2009 CELEBRATION CATHEDRAL SQUARE, JANUARY 1ST 2009
MUSIC BY VYTAUTAS JURGUTIS
Art Director, Light, Fireworks & Pyro Design Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Koutoulas for the Government of Lithuania
Local Producers Linas Ryskus & Giedre Zemaitiene Production & Logistics Director Norman Bauer Light Operator Andre Grohmann / tenfeet Deutschland Technical Director Procon MultiMedia AG Ingo Gaebel Technical Director Flash Art Felix Wolff Technical Director Pyro Sven Asamoa Local Production Manager Renata Krapikaite Light Equipment Procon MultiMedia AG Pyro & Fireworks Flash Art GmbH Logistics Bauer Concept Berlin
BERLIN – CANTO GENERAL KONZERTHAUS AM GENDARMENMARKT, OCTOBER 5TH 2009
MUSIC BY MIKIS THEODORAKIS PERFORMED BY MARIA FARANTOURI, RAINER SCHEERER, CONCERT CHOIR BERLIN, SINGAKADEMIE NIEDERSACHSEN, CONCERT ORCHESTRA BERLIN, CONDUCTED BY CLAUS-ULRICH HEINKE
Artistic Direction & Light Design by Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Koutoulas for the Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund (DGB) Promoted by Stephan Gorol Technical Director Mathias Jung
JERUSALEM – LIGHT FESTIVAL OPENING & ISRAEL MUSIC FESTIVAL CLOSING CEREMONY SULTAN’S POOL, JERUSALEM, JUNE 6TH 2010
MUSIC PERFORMED BY JERUSALEM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, CONDUCTED BY SAMUEL GAL ALTEROVICH
Artistic Direction & Light Design by Gert Hof Produced by Asteris Kutulas for the Municipality of Jerusalem
Director & Coordinator Light Festival Eduardo Huebscher Light Operator Ofer Brum Light Equipment Gil Teichmann Company
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks from my heart to Nina & Wanja Hof.
Asteris Kutulas, June 3rd 2019
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We give MUCH THANKS to our partners,
above all Achim Perleberg in Bochum, Tim Dowdall in Budapest, Sebastian Turner, Markus Mahren, Westbam, Peter Massine and Rainer Schaller in Berlin, Morten Carlsson and Jens Zimmermann in Hamburg, Andrew Zweck in London, Rafaela Wilde in Cologne, Marek Szpendowski in Warsaw, Michael Sladden in New York, Alexander Strizhak in Moscow, Dimitris Koutoulas, Vassilis Riziotis, Dimitra Rodopoulou and Dimitris Tziotis in Athens, Gerhard Seltmann in Magdeburg, Udo Hoffman and Sun Xiangyan in Beijing, Stephan Reichenberger in München, Michael Shurygin in St. Petersburg, Gil Teichmann in Tel Aviv und Eduardo Hübscher in Jerusalem, Stephan Gorol in Bonn, Linas Ryskus in Vilnius, Michael Thamm in Rostock, Robert van Ommen in Amsterdam, Ruslana in Kiew, Ivan Nestorov in Sofia and Tewe Pannier in Dubai. Without them the events that were documented here would not have been possible. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Many thanks to our partners, friends and colleagues
Peter Amend, Anton Attard, Anouk, Petra Bandmann, Bruno Baiardi, Laci Borsos, Giovanni Broccu, Jack Calmes, Nigel Camillieri, Michael Casper, Scott Cooper, Anna & George Dalaras, Rene Dame, Sven Dierkes, Thomas Erbach, Maria Farantouri, Klaus Feith, Valery Feofanow, Knut Foeckler, Mike Finkelstein, Matthias Frickel, Christine Friedrich, Toni Froschhammer, Tim Geladaris, Steve Gietka, Jörn Gläske, Thilo Goos, Phil Grucci, Anne Hansen, Laszlo Hegedüsz, Andreas Heine, Christoph Heubner, Wolfgang Hörner, Klaus Jankuhn, Alexandros Karozas, Hans-Georg Kehse, Joey Kelly, Pericles Koukos, Alexander Koutoulas, Ina Kutulas, Dominika Kulczyk, Hansjörg Kunze, Marcus Kurz, Ralph Larmann, Denis Leonov, Till Lindemann, Sabina Linke, Panos Livadas, Zülfü Livaneli, Peter Madai, Jannis Mihas, Gerda Milpacher, Pavlos Nanos, Ivan Nestorov, Marco Niedermeier, Nikos Moraitis, Mike Oldfield, Fotis Papathanassiou, Rena Parmenidou, Linda Powers, Alkistis Protopsalti, Ramin Rachel, Theodoros Roussopoulos, Lutz Rainer-Seidel, Rammstein, Peter Reiner, Uta Richter, Savas Savas, Scorpions, Susanne Schäfer, Volker Scherz, Henning Schmiedt, Klaus Schulze, Daniel Schwartz, Oliver Schwarzkopf, Melanie Sievers, Thanos Stavropoulos, Christian Steinhäuser, Andrea Szabo, Mikis Theodorakis, John Totaro, Donald Trump, Christine Uckert, Spiros Vergos, Matthias Weinert, Michael Wilde, Roger Waters, Arne Weingart, Elisabeth Wülfing, Giedre Zemaitiene
& especially
Sven Asamoa, Ross Ashton, Norman Bauer, Steffen Brandt, Daniel Brune, Gerd Helinski, Guido Karp, Ralph Larmann, Markus Katterle, Spiros Nanos, Jens Probst & Oliver Schwendke
Als ich Gert 1998 bei einem Theodorakis-Projekt in Berlin kennenlernte, schien er mir irgendwie abgehoben und gleichermaßen bodenständig, arrogant, ein Arbeiter vor dem Herrn, unfreundlich, einnehmend, sehr konkret in seinen Vorstellungen, divenhaft, genialisch.
Mich beeindruckten jedenfalls seine unachahmliche Art und seine konsequenten Denkstrukturen, und wir beschlossen, weiter zusammenzuarbeiten. Gert entpuppte sich als Kontrollfreak, als Seismograph für menschliche Verhaltensmuster. Egal, ob es um Verhandlungen mit unseren verschiedenen Partnern ging oder um die Planung eines nächsten Events – er lehrte mich, das Panoptikum menschlicher Unzulänglichkeiten klar zu erkennen. Seine bohrenden und gnadenlosen Fragen über jedes Detail, sein Analytikerhirn, brachten nach kürzester Zeit die wahren Fähigkeiten – und vor allem Unfähigkeiten – vieler unserer Partner zutage. Ich hasste ihn für diese offenbarende Art, gewöhnte mich aber schnell daran, mich in der Arbeit einsam zu fühlen. Die Luft in der Liga, in der wir zu arbeiten begannen, das merkte ich bald, war sehr dünn. Ich musste, durch Gert dazu getrieben, viele Entscheidungen treffen, die mein Leben veränderten. In den ersten Monaten unserer Zusammenarbeit dachte ich oft, Gert sei größenwahnsinnig, bis ich mich seinem Größenwahn anschloss. Ab da betrachtete ich unsere Projekte nicht nur als Produzent und Manager, sondern auch – und vor allem – als Künstler, so dass auch meine eigene Ästhetik tief von dieser Zusammenarbeit geprägt wurde.
Denn Gert hatte mir, gleich als wir uns kennenlernten, sein Konzept einer gigantischen Lichtschow erläutert. Ich begriff, dass tatsächlich weltweit noch keine Eventform existierte – außer der des Feuerwerks -, die von Hunderttausenden oder gar Millionen live miterlebt werden konnte. Es gab zwar Mega-Konzerte, bei denen Laser und Licht eingesetzt wurden, aber keine Show, die die Möglichkeit bot, eine ganze Stadt einzubeziehen und zu entertainen. Monate später, nach unseren Events in Berlin, Athen, Budapest und Peking, konnten dann alle, die das erlebt hatten, feststellen, dass selbst die größten Musikshows winzig wirkten im Vergleich zu dem, was wir inzwischen realisiert hatten.
Und ich erkannte, dass nicht das gewaltige Equipment diese Schows so außerordentlich machte, sondern der Umstand, daß wir es hier mit einer INSZENIERUNG zu tun hatten, die mehrere Elemente (u.a. Musik, Pyrotechnik, Neonarchitektur, Feuerwerk, Licht, Heliumballons, Statisten) vereinte. Viel wichtiger als die Hardware waren also das kreative Potenzial im migränegeplagten Kopflabor von Gert, seine 25jährige Theater-Erfahrung, seine über 20jährige Arbeit im Musik- und Filmgeschäft, seine architektonischen Visionen.
Denn es gab in der vor-hofschen Ära keine ausgeprägte „Ästhetik des Lichts“ – jedenfalls nicht in dieser Dimension und schon gar nicht im Outdoor-Event-Bereich -, vor 1999 interessierte sich keiner für dieses Phänomen, außer in Gesprächen über Dritte-Reich-Symbolik. Das „Licht“ führte ein Nischendasein. Gert hat es davon befreit, er befreite es auch aus der speerschen-nationalsozialistischen Umarmung, er machte es „hof“fähig für die moderne Kunst, fürs Entertainment, verlieh ihm die visionäre Kraft einer „Architektur am Himmel“, er schuf in gewisser Weise ein neues Kunstgenre, und er brachte es in die Feuilletons. Das ist vielleicht Gerts größtes Verdienst – er hat den Weg frei gemacht.
ich möchte Euch hiermit mitteilen, dass Gert und ich nicht mehr im Managementverhältnis zueinander stehen. Wir haben uns im guten Einvernehmen geeinigt, stattdessen ab jetzt projektgebunden zu kooperieren.
Wir möchten Euch für das jahrelange Vertrauen in unsere Zusammenarbeit danken.
Asteris Koutoulas, 22.9.2009
P.S. Was uns beiden jedenfalls bleibt, nach 11 rasanten Jahren, ist die unglaubliche Story einer unglaublichen Beziehung und eines unglaublichen Werdegangs. Hier die short-Variante:
Nach so viel gemeinsam verlebter Zeit ist es also nicht verwunderlich, dass auch ein Grossteil meiner Homepage Meister Gert gewidmet ist, seinen/ unseren gemeinsamen Unternehmungen der letzten zehn Jahre. Da ist einiges zusammengekommen. Wir haben die halbe Welt umrundet und einige Licht-Zeichen gesetzt. Viel gelernt und viel gelacht. Und unsäglich viel Stress gehabt. „Der Schmerz ist dein Freund.“ Das Leben, wie es ist und wie es sein soll in der besten aller möglichen Welten. Das falsche im richtigen Leben oder umgekehrt, das ist die Frage. Halte aus. Halte durch. Bleib nicht stehen. Salute, capitano Gert!
Und noch ein Dankes-Wort an Meister Gert
Ich habe sehr, sehr viel von Gert gelernt. Die Weiterentwicklung einer Idee habe ich besonders ihm zu verdanken, obwohl ich mich nur einmal mit ihm darüber unterhalten habe. Bereits 1999 – als Gert eine neue Art der multimedialen Licht-Show kreierte und ich außerdem für ihn bei der Dionysos-Opernproduktion als Dramaturg und Regieassistent arbeitete –, entwickelte ich die Idee eines „liquiden Bühnenbildes“, das dem Medium Film eine neue Rolle in einer entsprechend gestalteten „Theaterbühne“ geben und eine neue Art von Show-Produktion ermöglichen würde. Der Grundgedanke dieses „Liquid Staging“-Konzepts besteht darin, dass man einen „FILM“ für die Bühne produziert, also nicht das Medium Film benutzt, um ein bereits bestehendes Stück oder eine bereits bestehende Show-Produktion damit – wie auch immer – „zu vervollständigen“.
Und im Gegensatz zu Gerts Ästhetik, die von Brecht beeinflusst und auf dem deutschen Bauhaus-Prinzip beruhte, also mehr „abstrakter Natur“ war, folgte meine Idee dem Weg des „Einfühlens“, entsprechend der Hollywood-Film-Tradition. Schon 1991, während meines Studiums, hatte ich „Abstraktion und Einfühlung“ – Wilhelm Worringers Dissertation von 1907 – gelesen und fühlte mich dem antiken klassischen „Einssein mit der Welt“ (Einfühlung) mehr verbunden als der „dualistischen Trennung von Geist und Materie“ (Abstraktion).
Ich habe inzwischen dieses Konzept entwickelt für ein Theaterbau-Projekt, und ich hoffe, dass eine erste konzeptionelle architektonische Umsetzung bald umgesetzt werden wird. Gert, danke für die inspirative Zeit mit Dir!
We give MUCH THANKS to our partners, above all Achim Perleberg in Bochum, Tim Dowdall in Budapest, Sebastian Turner, Markus Mahren, Westbam, Peter Massine and Rainer Schaller in Berlin, Morten Carlsson and Jens Zimmermann in Hamburg, Andrew Zweck in London, Rafaela Wilde in Cologne, Marek Szpendowski in Warsaw, Michael Sladden in New York, Alexander Strizhak in Moscow, Dimitris Koutoulas, Vassilis Riziotis, Dimitra Rodopoulou and Dimitris Tziotis in Athens, Gerhard Seltmann in Magdeburg, Udo Hoffman and Sun Xiangyan in Beijing, Stephan Reichenberger in München, Michael Shurygin in St. Petersburg, Gil Teichmann in Tel Aviv und Eduardo Hübscher in Jerusalem, Stephan Gorol in Bonn, Linas Ryskus in Vilnius, Michael Thamm in Rostock, Robert van Ommen in Amsterdam, Ruslana in Kiew, Ivan Nestorov in Sofia and Tewe Pannier in Dubai. Without them the events that were documented here would not have been possible. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Many thanks to our partners, friends and colleagues Peter Amend, Anton Attard, Anouk, Petra Bandmann, Bruno Baiardi, Laci Borsos, Giovanni Broccu, Jack Calmes, Nigel Camillieri, Michael Casper, Scott Cooper, Anna & George Dalaras, Rene Dame, Sven Dierkes, Thomas Erbach, Maria Farantouri, Klaus Feith, Valery Feofanow, Knut Foeckler, Mike Finkelstein, Matthias Frickel, Christine Friedrich, Toni Froschhammer, Tim Geladaris, Steve Gietka, Jörn Gläske, Thilo Goos, Phil Grucci, Anne Hansen, Laszlo Hegedüsz, Andreas Heine, Christoph Heubner, Wolfgang Hörner, Klaus Jankuhn, Alexandros Karozas, Hans-Georg Kehse, Joey Kelly, Pericles Koukos, Alexander Koutoulas, Ina Kutulas, Dominika Kulczyk, Hansjörg Kunze, Marcus Kurz, Ralph Larmann, Denis Leonov, Till Lindemann, Sabina Linke, Panos Livadas, Zülfü Livaneli, Peter Madai, Jannis Mihas, Gerda Milpacher, Pavlos Nanos, Ivan Nestorov, Marco Niedermeier, Nikos Moraitis, Mike Oldfield, Fotis Papathanassiou, Rena Parmenidou, Anja Pietsch, Linda Powers, Alkistis Protopsalti, Ramin Rachel, Theodoros Roussopoulos, Lutz Rainer-Seidel, Rammstein, Peter Reiner, Uta Richter, Jens Rötzsch, Savas Savas, Scorpions, Susanne Schäfer, Volker Scherz, Henning Schmiedt, Klaus Schulze, Daniel Schwartz, Oliver Schwarzkopf, Melanie Sievers, Thanos Stavropoulos, Christian Steinhäuser, Andrea Szabo, Mikis Theodorakis, John Totaro, Donald Trump, Christine Uckert, Spiros Vergos, Matthias Weinert, Sabine Wenzel, Michael Wilde, Roger Waters, Arne Weingart, Elisabeth Wülfing, Giedre Zemaitiene
& especially
Sven Asamoa, Ross Ashton, Norman Bauer, Steffen Brandt, Daniel Brune, Gerd Helinski, Guido Karp, Markus Katterle, Spiros Nanos, Jens Probst & Oliver Schwendke
A&O Lighting Bremen, Art Hellas Athens, Art in Heaven GmbH, Bauer Concept Berlin, Black Box Music Berlin, Cleverbank Athens, Ellinika Petrelea, Esernyo Kft. Budapest, E/T/C UK Ltd. Projecting London, FansUNITED GmbH, FX Factory Berlin, Gil Teichmann Company, Helicon GmbH, Intracom Athens, JSA Moscow, Jerusalem Municipality, laserfabrik showlaser, Kulczyk Tradex Sp. z.o.o., Lufthansa-Büro Dresden, Maltese Government, Multimedia International Budapest, Nanos Fireworks Athens, Government of Oman, OPAP Athens, Orama Athens, Piraeus Port Authority S.A., Procon MultiMedia AG Hamburg, Pyro-Art Berlin, Sensible Events London, Silvretta Seilbahn AG, Scholz & Friends AG, Skoda Auto Polska S.A., Space Canon Italy, TuiR Warta S.A., Tourismusverband Ischgl, Trump Organization
