Door to Door. Break on Through to the Other Side, 1997
5.40 Minutes, Edition of 3

Excerpts from Stefan Banz' video work "Door to Door", 1997,
in which the artist was hit and trashed by his neighbour. For further
informations see the conversation below or contact the artist.





Door to Door. Break on through to the other Side

Stefan Banz is filming a still life in his garden, with his video camera on
a tripod. He goes briefly into the house.

The neighbour (opposite) enters the garden of his daughter (neighbour next
door), climbs a garden chair and stares over the partition into the garden
of Sabine & Stefan Banz.

The neighbour is speaking to his daughter, all the while staring into Sabine
& Stefan Banz's garden.

Neighbour: (To his daughter) Don't let these primitive people upset you Now
this is the most primitive thing I've ever seen!

Short pause: Baby's noises from out of a neighbouring garden.

Neighbour: I'm going up to Dreschel (owner of the house where Sabine &
Stefan Banz live).
Neighbour's daughter: Yes, yeaaas
Neighbour: That's impossible, we can't tolerate querulous people in the
quarter, can we?

Stefan Banz comes back from inside the house into the garden.

Neighbour: (Brashly) Well, what have you got there
Stefan Banz: Keep your mouth shut. What are you doing there?
Neighbour: (Excited) Listen, I won't keep my mouth shut because of you, you
greenhorn. You destroy the whole quarter. Get back where you come from, you
understand
Stefan Banz: (Gets the camera in the garden) Say that again
Neighbour: Clear off, get lost!
Stefan Banz: Say that
Neighbour: Clear off! That would be the most sensible thing for you to
Stefan Banz: Say that again.
Neighbour: Clear off, you get me? You had fights down there and now you come
up here and start fights, you arsehole! Make a note of that!
N's daughter: He's filming
Neighbour: Will you please make a not of that, you art art historian, make
a note of that!
Stefan Banz: Thank you so much.
Neighbour: Make a note of that.
Neighbours's grandchild: (Looking out the window) Oh, they look cool!
Stefan Banz: Thanks a lot, that's super.
Neighbour: Clear off! You had fights down there and now you have fights up
here everywhere you're well-known
Stefan Banz: Uhu.
Neighbour: Down there, you didn't get along with anybody you didn't get
along with anybody
Stefan Banz: About you, they say
Neighbour: and now you start fights up here.
Stefan Banz: I've heard a lot about you.
Neighbour: (With pointed finger) And if you don't stop I go up and talk to
Dreschel, and then you're thrown out of this house!
Stefan Banz: I've heard lots about you.
Sabine Banz: (Indistinctly in the background) Don't say anything!
Stefan Banz: No
Neighbour: (Turning towards Sabine Banz) And you are exactly the same!
Stefan Banz: (To Sabine Banz) It's well-known how he reacts. A lot of people
have told me about that.
Neighbour: You're making the whole quarter mad!
Stefan Banz: You don't say.
Neighbour: And you have naughty children!
Stefan Banz: Oh yes? I'm so sorry.
Neighbour: You know what your boy told me? He told me to put my car in the
garage.
Stefan Banz: I'm so sorry about that.
Neighbour: Yes, that's what he said. The car isn't here
Stefan Banz: I'm so sorry about that.
Neighbour: You're a very insolent you're a very insolent man! You destroy
the whole quarter.
Stefan Banz: You don't say I'm sorry about that.
Neighbour: Make a not of that ? you asshole ? yes! And if you don't stop I
come over - you
Sabine Banz: (In the background) That would be trespass!
Neighbour: (To the artist) I'm not afraid of you at all!
Stefan Banz: No, what are you saying?
Neighbour: Not at all, I'm not afraid of you.


The neighbour attempts to seize the camera through the bush. As he does not
succeed he leaves his daughter's garden with heavy steps and excitedly opens
the high wooden door of Sabine & Stefan Banz's garden, furiously jumps at
Stefan Banz and hits him with his fists.

Stefan Banz: Look out! Look out!

The camera swings back and forth uncontrolledly under the neighbour's fists
Finally, Sabine Banz comes to her husband's aid and takes over the camera.

A noise of glass clattering.

Sabine Banz: (Several times shouting into the scuffle) This is trespass -
Get out of our garden - Leave our garden!

Sabine Banz continues filming: The neighbour keeps attacking. One can see
him, among other things, punching Stefan Banz on his chin with his fist.
Finally, the one attacked defends himself against the aggressor by giving
him a kick with his shoe between his legs.

Stefan Banz: Get out of our garden.
Neighbour: (To Stefan Banz) You think I'm afraid of you.
Stefan Banz: Where are my glasses?
Sabine Banz: Please get out of our garden!
Neighbour: This isn't your garden. You don't have anything to say around
here!
Sabine Banz: Leave our garden! We'll report you.
Neighbour: (On leaving the garden) What an insolent brood!

The neighbour is being led out by a woman neighbour who had been standing by
outside the garden, and she accompanies him to his house.

He turns round once more, points his finger at Sabine & Stefan Banz and
curses indistinctly.

Stefan Banz: (Rather upset) I'm looking for my glasses, I can't see them.
Sabine Banz: You know I can't find them either, I want to photograph him,
film him. Now we inform the police.
Stefan Banz: My glasses
Sabine Banz: It's all right, Stefan, we'll inform the police - trespass.
Stefan Banz: Where are my glasses, it's important, I can't see anything

Stefan Banz is looking for his glasses

Stefan Banz: Here they are (Out of breath, he shows the camera his glasses)
They're broken, too okay
Neighbours's grandchild: I'll go out and congratulate my grandfather.
Sabine Banz: The garden door, it's damaged, leave it as it is, please

The camera remains fixed at the open door. Children and grown-ups pass and
glance into the garden. Stefan Banz is visibly upset and confused -
nervously and out of breath, he clears up everything that had been thrown
into disorder.

Mai 1, 1997