Jaap Blonk

The world-renowned German avant-garde artist Kurt Schwitters (1887–1948) is represented in major galleries around the globe. In the 1930s, he spent considerable time in Molde before this representative of what the Nazis called "Degenerate Art" fled to England in 1940. In Molde, he lived and worked in a small stone hut—a former sheep shed—on Hjertøya. Schwitters also wrote the Dadaist work Die Ursonate, which is still performed on stages worldwide. The man who has perhaps, apart from Schwitters himself, done the most to make Ursonate famous is the Dutchman Jaap Blonk. While most perform Ursonate as a text reading, Blonk turns it into an engaging theatrical performance that is both visually and textually highly captivating.

Blonk has written a humorous and interesting article about the piece (click on the link to read the article) and his experiences with it, from his first attempts at Dada poetry and sound poems in punk clubs where people reacted by yelling at him and throwing half-empty beer glasses at him. This year, Blonk is making a new recording of Die Ursonate for a record label in the USA.

During Moldejazz, Ursonate will be performed outside the stone hut where Schwitters lived on Hjertøya. Strangely enough, this is the first time the work will be performed in its entirety in Molde. The audience can take a boat from the dock at Molde Square before the performance. The concert is free, except for the boat ticket. Some benches will be set up, but it might be wise to bring something to sit on, especially if the ground becomes damp.

The performance begins at 12:30 PM. The scheduled boat "Hjertøybåten" has its first departure at 10:30, and from 11:00 it departs every hour - on the hour. The crossing takes 12 minutes, and it takes about 15 minutes to walk from the dock to the venue.
It is recommended to book the boat tickets in advance.

Here you can read more about—and pre-book tickets to the boat "Hjertøybåten"

Guests with a boat ticket also get free access to the Fisheries Museum (Fiskerimuseet, entrance and guide).
This event is a collaboration between Moldejazz and Romsdalsmuseet.