BIRGIT KEMPKER, Basel
SPHINX, 2004   Sphinx Special

She who "sphinxes" answers questions, or rather: answers to them. Thus is the resolute declaration of the Sphinx of Pontresina concerning her own actions. But whose actions are explained? Those of the machine, which answers – in the baroque poetic form of the sestina at that – or the actions of the author Birgit Kempker, the original creator of the project? The Sphinx of Pontresina can be reached via the net: every visitor is encouraged to enter questions, anonymously or revealing their identity, and may expect a direct answer. Kempker distorted and multiplied her own voice using the co-authorship of several machines, the sestina-producing alter-ego as well as several digital voices – thus programming a mixture of direct communication and literary freedom.

The work, as sold, includes an individual answers-course and an offline archive of all the Sphinx's answers up until the time of the own question.



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