At the Electro Studios, St. Leonards.16th -18th May.
Daniel Hartlaub is a familiar artist to Hastings, having appeared here in group or solo shows over the last few years, typically in the company of equally familiar musicians around the town. His 2025 visit had the added attraction of work by his uncle Felix Hartlaub, who died in the last three days of World War 2 in Germany, I should have added that Daniel practices mainly in Frankfurt. Felix’s work had been set as what we might now call a graphic novel, projected continuously, each page merging in and out to the next. Drawn at the age of 13, in the expressionist style favoured in Germany in the mid-1920s, it is effectively a journey through life; think Frans Masereel. Felix, a civil servant, disappeared after being called up in, as I said, the last three days of the European war, officially so at least. If their Reich could not last 1000 years, the Nazis were determined to have Ragnarôk instead.
The darkness of the tale mirrors Daniel’s own work, some of which was indeed created for book illustration, linking us back to Nazi Germany as it happens. Historian Petra Bonavita writes on the German resistance to the Nazis. Surprisingly, as it may seem, there were many within the German police force opposed to Hitler some taking part in the ill-fated Operation Valkyrie; so far as I am aware this work is only published in German. However, whilst Hartlaub chooses to work in black and white for his print work, some of it is of a much lighter nature; his Fencer is particularly fine. The exhibition was curated by Katrin Kobberger.
Aside from Felix’s graphic novel, other projections overlaid the various musical escapades accompanying the show, some by Hartlaub, others by Mr. Exploding Cinema, Duncan Reekie.
There was a family feel to these as musicians from various ensembles regrouped. On Friday 16th we started with what might be a core Necessary Animals, Amanda Thompson and Keith Rodway, joined by Kath Allsopp, violin and Hutch Demouilpied, trumpet, playing new music for the event including a duet with medium wave radio. They were followed by Simon and the Pope, (Simon Charterton, percussion and John Pope guitar) accompanied by Demouilpied, to get the feet moving.
On Saturday 17th a reconfiguration; A.K.A. Anthony Moore joined Rodway and Thompson playing pieces from Moore’s songbook; Coralie and The Pilgrim, from Slapp Happy days, and Hymn to Despair, an ode to Southern Water, which I think, was premiered at The Beacon last year, and Hymn to Love, to lift the evening up again. Rodway was then joined by percussionist Simon Charterton and sonic experimentalist Nick Weekes for a long freeform session under the name of Jury Service; watch out for those names to brighten your lives in coming months. The Underground is alive and well in Hastings.
.
Stewart Rayment