Erinnerungsspur--Statische Vibration (Memory's Trace--Static Vibration) Possibly 1978 - 1979

Editor: Here we have Dieter Appelt’s black and white photograph, *Erinnerungsspur--Statische Vibration*, which translates to *Memory's Trace--Static Vibration*. It was likely made between 1978 and 1979. The image depicts a woman floating, almost peacefully, in a shallow body of water. It's so still, so dreamlike, but also kind of eerie. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, I'm so glad you picked up on that feeling of stillness… that static, vibrating kind of quiet. To me, it’s a photograph trying to capture something beyond the visible, beyond the frozen moment. The body merges with the water, the rocks below, almost dissolving. Think of memory itself, how fluid and unstable it can be. Doesn't this photo feel like trying to grasp at a fading memory? Or perhaps more personally, a past self? Editor: That’s interesting, this idea of a dissolving self. The title speaks to vibration, yet there’s such a powerful stillness visually. Are those opposing concepts important? Curator: Absolutely. That tension is everything! "Static Vibration," isn't that fantastic? Think about the body immersed in water – there's movement, the subtle pull of the current, the unseen energy, but the photograph traps it, tries to make it solid, static. This creates a sense of unease and longing. Perhaps even points to trauma? It seems like Appelt attempts to confront how experiences – traumatic ones perhaps – are recorded in, and haunt the physical body. What resonates most with you about that conflict? Editor: For me, it’s the enduring quality of a photograph juxtaposed with the fleeting nature of the subject. It feels like a paradox. I'm glad to think about this more deeply. Curator: Yes! We are forever chasing the tail of the ineffable in the static capture. Thanks for letting me ramble through my subjective reality. I saw things in new shades due to your reflections.