Torben Ulrich: marks of play, re- marks on being

Torben Ulrich (born Oct. 4, 1928) has been called one the most colorful and unique voices in Danish culture of the 20th and 21st centuries, stemming from his lifelong activities as poet, musician, radio and newspaper journalist, painter, filmmaker, performer and athlete, all attempting to explore these fields within a transdisciplinary approach. This view has long been grounded in a process-oriented, wide-ranging study of movement in spiritual, philosophical and athletic traditions, accentuating the practical while including the historical aspects of alchemy, dance, yogic studies, Buddhism, Christian and Jewish Kabbalah, Sufism, Taoism, etc.

Torben’s work with ball, rope, racquet, and rice paper has its beginnings in 1971, when the Lions Club of Copenhagen asked a variety of politicians, actors, writers and others to make “a blue elephant” for a charity exhibit to benefit a senior center in Denmark.

Today, using primarily skipping rope and tennis net, racquet and ball, Ulrich explores play and the athletic event with ink and/or acrylic, predominantly on rice paper. In some earlier series, he often first skipped an inked rope onto the rice paper, which was placed on the ground. When dry, the paper was then posted or held against a wall and an inked ball was played (not placed), as a sign of ongoing playfulness. Later, a text might have been added. In the most recent series, a text was often the first step, followed by a served or stroked net, then rope, then ball.