Afterglow
Joschua Hohenbrink
Afterglow transforms a tree in the Schwarzenberg Garden into a place of remembrance. An empty swing moves gently in the wind, as if time had stood still for a moment.
“I am interested in the moment when reality and memory begin to merge – as if, for an instant, a gateway to another time were opening.”
The work takes Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s Rococo painting The Swing as its starting point. Instead of a physical swing, a holographic projection appears. Fragmented soundscapes heighten the impression of a fleeting afterglow. The installation invites visitors to see the park with fresh eyes and to become aware of the traces of its history.
Spotlight
from Idea to Artwork
Afterglow is the title of your work for KLANGLICHT IM PARK. How would you describe the installation?
Afterglow takes Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s famous painting The Swing as its starting point. I was fascinated by the poetic atmosphere of the painting – the enchanted garden, its sense of lightness and the feeling of a moment frozen in time. I wanted to bring this atmosphere into the present. In the park, a holographically projected swing therefore appears to sway as if abandoned. The person has long since disappeared, yet their movement remains, like an echo of the past. The work is accompanied by fragmented sounds reminiscent of Baroque music, laughter and wind, creating a quiet bridge between past and present.
What kind of atmosphere would you like to create?
I would like visitors to discover the work before immediately understanding what it is. It should spark curiosity, invite people to come closer and retain a sense of mystery. The installation is quiet, poetic and slightly enigmatic – not eerie, but more like an echo of a time long gone.
How does the work reflect your artistic approach?
I am interested in how new media can expand our perception of reality. I do not want to overpower existing places, but rather add another layer to them – as if, for a moment, a gateway to another reality were opening. Nature, light, movement and sound all play a central role in this.
Biography
Joschua Hohenbrink, Digital Artist and Creator (born 1986 in Germany), works as a freelance artist with a focus on audiovisual installations and projection mapping. He studied Media Art (BFA, AKI ArtEZ, the Netherlands) and is currently completing a Master’s degree in Arts and Design at FH Joanneum in Austria, focusing on atmosphere in sacred spaces and video mapping. His work has been presented at KLANGLICHT Graz, the Generate! Festival and international exhibitions, with projects spanning video mapping, soundscapes and interactive installations.
Gregor Schmitz studies Sound Design at FH Joanneum in Graz and is working towards his Master of Arts degree, which he expects to complete in 2026. Last year, he collaborated on the sound design for Olafur Eliasson’s work Eye See You, presented at KLANGLICHT.
Credits
Concept and Visual Design:
Joschua Hohenbrink
Sound Design:
Gregor Schmitz