ONE MILLION - EDITION NIKOLAI VOGEL
»GROßE UNGEORDNETE AUFZÄHLUNG (DETAIL)«
[translated: Large Unordered Sequence (Detail)]

Since September 6, 2022

-> www.nikolaivogel.com
-> Read PDF here
-> Edition 1
-> Edition 2

a jar, mouthful, content, not too full, avoiding emptiness, touching lips, the liquid, over the rim, handling of a container, volume,

Nikolai Vogel's text »Large Unordered Sequence« is being written continuously, and details out of it are published in different places: In books, magazines, but also art installations and acoustic settings. The »Large Unordered Sequence« is an inventory of our world which wanders around and finds itself again in the most varying details. It changes between subject and object, poetry and prose, literature and sculpture, original and copy. The »Large Unordered Sequence« exists only in details. The whole is fiction.

Now one of the details is firstly published as an edition within Uli Aigners »One Million«-project – namely on porcelain, initially on ten dishes which can be purchased separately or all together. There are jars, bowls, a vase, a jug – their sizes are not too small, not too large, not too flat, not too deep, a kind of equilibrium of forms and possibilities. And also the demands of a two people household can be covered only with those ten dishes and their many possible uses. Two plates are added as an own extra detail and complete the dozen. Pieces you live with, you view them, take them in your hands, move them and place them on your lips – and here after all also as literature which is open and provides our imagination with enough space for insertions, exemplifications and ones own experiences.

Since 2014 every hand made and chronologically numbered ONE MILLION porcelain dish by Uli Aigner represents the recollection of an encounter with a person, an organization or an institution that contacted her. Every dish is part of a permanent and uncontrollable increasing entire whole. Every object is displayed on its position on a digital world map and is shown under: www.eine-million.com/en/map

So all owners of the dishes are becoming part of this global narration. A digital iceberg comes into existence with a porcelain peak, roaming globally, hybrid and connecting, out of control and autonomous. Every dish has a guarantee period of 500 years. Damaged dishes are replaced by new ones, when you send them back. A slowly enriching archive of remained and returned porcelain originates.

»One Million« by Uli Aigner and the »Large Unordered Sequence« by Nikolai Vogel are both in their own way a world surrounding project, but completely without megalomanial thoughts, but instead always embracing the openness with a kind of frankness. And they want to take all their users and viewers serious and involve them and show them their freedom.

Two weeks with twelve porcelain dishes

DAY 1 - WEDNESDAy, 29.06.2022

At noon. The bell rings. Two big parcels. Beautifully packed. Without plastic. Silke and I unwrap them. Like Christmas. Ten dishes »Large Unordered Sequence (Detail)« from the project »One Million by Uli Aigner«. Hand-crafted porcelain. And a second edition with two plates, also »Large Unordered Sequence (Detail)«. We rinse and dry every dish. They are placed on our big wooden table in the kitchen. Photo shooting. Then we open a good bottle of prosecco. The first two jars are approved. »handling of a container,« and »touching lips,«. Unfamiliar, not from the glass, champagne glass, but we enjoy it. The porcelain keeps the liquid nicely cold. We haven't eaten so far and have to go shopping first. Scrambled eggs with parsley. The plates »foundation, society,« and »the layer, a possibility,« look just fine. How we are looking forward to having our meal!

At our market stall there was again asparagus on offer, actually we thought we were through with asparagus this year, but now it ends up on the porcelain. Only with olive oil and Parmesan. Afterwards there are caper fruits, small cream cheese stuffed peppers, bread, cheese. A glass, no, a jar of white wine along with the asparagus, then red wine. In the carafe »volume« cold water. All twelve dishes are appreciated.

I agreed with Uli Aigner, that Silke and I exclusively use theses dishes, these twelve pieces, for two weeks – so, as far as we are at home – and won't eat or drink from any other one. At night I always have a glass of water beside the bed, and first I am tempted to leave it like that, don't want to throw over the new porcelain jar in the dark. But then I think, well, then it's just the way it is. The glass goes into the kitchen, is stowed away. The water is now in »a jar,« (6660).

day 2 - thursday, 30.06.2022

First of all some coffee after getting up! Today I have a closer look at »a jar« (6660). It has got a nice size for coffee – if you drink a lot of coffee – and also for water; you don't have to run again and fetch some fresh one after you had a mouthful. It is now filled with coffee and is standing between me and the laptop while I am writing this. If you have a look from above it is not quite round, but slightly and beautifully irregular, oval with little bulges, The words »a jar,« is written on it like a proposition, a statement, but also like a demand to engage oneself with the question, what creates content. And the comma encourages one to think farther. You can take it perfectly with one hand, and for instance, if you got cold hands, you can guide it with both hands to your lips. And on its outside there are small fins or ripples which add an interesting haptic element. I enjoy my coffee. Else on today's special offer: cake on »the layer, a possibility,« apricots from »content,« mozzarella with tomatoes and basil on »foundation, society,«. And »a jar,« becomes a water glass again in the evening and at night.

day 3 - friday, 01.07.2022

For breakfast porridge with honey in the jar »mouthful,« (6661). A nice form – bowl, pan or cup. Bowl and cup! On the top a bit inclined to the outside, some kind of a small lip. Porridge becomes like glue when it is dry, so I rinse »mouthful,« immediately after I finished eating and decide to use it as a cup. I pour coffee into it. You can carry it when you clasp it with both hands, or otherwise with one from the top, the fingers like a claw. The coffee tastes good from it, I drink slowly. A nice jar, e.g. to sip a big white coffee. I drink it black. And I think tea must taste very good from it. And also the color must be emphasized by the white of the porcelain quite well. At the moment I don't fancy tea, but in winter time definitely again. This jar is an all-rounder. You can drink from it or eat soup or yogurt. »mouthful,« suits well as a small bowl for fruit or antipasti, too.

During day we eat salad from »content,« and »the liquid,«. In the evening scrambled eggs on Bavarian meat loaf from the plates »foundation, society,« and »the layer, a possibility,«. Then afterwards some wine from »touching lips,« and finally even a grappa, also from »touching lips,«.

day 4 - saturday, 02.07.2022

After a rainy day the sun is back again, and we have a watermelon in the fridge. I place it on »content,« (6662). Then I take it away, slice it on a wooden cutting board. A piece goes back again. Looks good. Silke and I eat the whole watermelon – she from »the liquid,«. On the balcony some wasps fancy it, too. »content,« is – regarding the form – a classic soup bowl, but I don't eat soups so often. You can read the text from the outside, I realize – that's the case with the other dishes, too.

Again, I drink my coffee from »content,«. I won't use any others from the series, because just after I type this – it is now midday – we are going away and staying over night.

day 5 - sunday, 03.07.2022

We returned home not until eight o'clock pm after a hot day with about 30 degrees (86 °F). Soaked with sweat, thirst, shower. On the balcony some beer. I like to drink it from the bottle. Not today. Today from »not too full,« (6663) – like a comment. Pale ale, lager. The liquid, the foam. Poured like that, so the writing can be just read. I like the second »l« of »voll« [translated: »full«], it is a bit stretched and thereby thinner, you nearly miss it, so you can also read »vol«, also the abbreviation of »volume« – just like the name of an other jar in the series, namely the carafe. The beer tastes. All drinks taste surprisingly good from the porcelain. Hot stays hot, cold stays cold. After the beer some water. After the water some wine. An evening »not too full,« – the end of a week. The jar is tall, on the top opened wider. What fits into a jar and how it is emptied. Meditation about too much and too little and that just enough can only be a snap-shot. A moment of satisfaction, moments of joy, moment of balance.

And then on the balcony we have salad with goat's cheese from »the liquid,«. As I am writing it is short past midnight. A mouthful of wine then, and tomorrow the focus on the next dish.

day 6 - monday, 04.07.2022

Today Kilian comes for breakfast. He drinks his coffee from »over the rim«, I from »not too full,«. And I in particular take care of the bowl »avoiding emptiness,« (6664). Eggcups are not part of the series. So I invent a makeshift. I place my pretzel on the bowl and put the soft boiled egg in one of the holes of the pretzel. Perfect. The bowl becomes a breakfast plate then. Kilian does it likewise using the plate-bowl or the bowl-plate »the liquid,«. Silke and I used the bowl »avoiding emptiness,« also for apricots and for cream cheese filled peppers. Also for other antipasti like olives they suit excellently. In the evening Silke and I cook artichokes. The dip made from avocado and lemon also goes on »avoiding emptiness,« and fits perfectly. We eat on the balcony. In addition a good Verdicchio from »touching lips,« and »handling of a container,«. We dip the artichoke leaves into the sauce. With the edge of this bowl arched on its outside you can easily strip away what is too much and would fall down otherwise. The arched edge that gains traction in the surrounding space of this jar – »avoiding emptiness,« as if the edge avoids being edge. An eccentric bowl. And in the evening a raisin bun – which is left over from breakfast – fits in perfectly.

day 7 - tuesday, 05.07.2022

I had »touching lips,« filled with water beside my bed at night already. Now I use it for coffee. During the recent days I preferred this jar for red and white wine. I am looking forward to having some tea from it. The widely curved jar on slender foot would suit for deserts, for things which you have to use a small spoon for. But so far I have only drunk from it – and you can place your lips all right. On its rim the jar itself forms a slightly bended lip to the outside.

At noon we have salad from »the liquid,« and »content,«. In the evening we are going out. The dish has an evening off.

day 8 - wednesday, 06.07.2022

Today »the liquid,« (6666) is next. It is rather noon than morning when I fetch a croissant and place it on this plate. It keeps an exact balance between plate and bowl. So, with a croissant on it the writing seems to be the proposal not to forget the drink along with the meal. And for my coffee I use »a jar,« again. – In the afternoon we have scrambled eggs. At first only one for the photo. On Silke's plate »the layer, a possibility,« meanwhile I place three. And afterwards a cheese bun. It lies on it as if it belongs exactly there. Not to forget the liquid. It is added from »a jar,«. Coffee and water.

day 9 - thursday, 07.07.2022

The day starts with coffee, like so often. »over the rim,« (6667) is written on the cup. Or the jar. The container precisely. Particularly this one caught our eyes at once. It is very irregularly formed. And where the word »rim« is written, it seems to be tipping to the outside. A jar with dents in which you can grip and add a special haptic – really easy on the hand. I drank also red wine from it, and water. If you fill it half, from above, it doesn't form a circle or an oval, but a trapezium which becomes more and more a circle when going up in the direction of the rim. A jar with different kinds of pace. The liquid flows either steeper or more level in relation to the mouth. At the word »rim« it virtually has to flow over a kind of lip and fans out – that way wine gets more air, hot coffee cools down a bit due to the bigger surface. So a jar for slow and cautious sipping in one place and for bigger and faster gulps in the other. An extravagant piece which appears rather strange in the beginning and becomes more and more special. Kilian also picked it immediately on Monday. A jar which makes you think about the rim – and every draft flows over the rim which I take.

day 10 - friday, 08.07.2022

Coffee! Today is all about »handling of a container,« (6668). A tall jar, at the bottom narrow and becoming wider going up. Silke liked to use it much during the last days, mainly drank water from it. Yesterday I already used it for a non-alcoholic weiss beer. And the white foam goes well along with the white jar. Now I handle it with coffee. The word »container« and the following comma rise from the bottom to the top, imitate also the movement of the head when you lift the jar. The container functions in a vertical way, has depth. And the horizontal, circular surface of the liquid within declines with every draft – and in the case of coffee with a bit ground only the last mouthful reveals the »B« of »Behältnisses« [translated: »container«]. After I emptied it, I handle it also while rinsing. The container and the handling. The hand which leads it to the mouth. The hand which knows how far, and that also knows which grade is required so the liquid flows into the mouth and not past it. The hand which determines the speed of drinking. The liquid which is in movement between hand and mouth. The container which then establishes a connection between hand and mouth. The touching lips and the liquid which flows over the rim of the container. The pouring which usually takes place much faster than the emptying. Except you pour something away. Left overs that don't seem to be fresh anymore or warm or cool enough. Those many movements which such a container experiences during its handling. And that it just stands there the most of its time preserving its content or waiting for a new refill. And how much is accumulated gradually.

day 11 - saturday, 09.07.2022

»Volume,« (6669) is the biggest jar of the series and is the conclusion of the first sequence of »Large Unordered Sequence (Detail)« in Uli Aigner's One Million. A slightly bulgy carafe with to opposite spouts. We eat in the kitchen and the tap is nearby – so we haven't used »volume,« not too often. I think its nice when we have some guests for dinner, e.g., as a water carafe on the table. Of course it could contain juice or wine, but we will use it for water mainly. I fill it up until close under the rim – and then pour the content into a measuring jug. The jar is heavy – and with its content even heavier. I take it with both hands. I try both spouts. It should be poured slowly so there isn't too much liquid for the slender beaks. Should it go faster, you can pour over an other part of the rim, of course, without using one of the beaks. But pouring slowly it adds more significance to the procedure, more attentiveness. It is rather precisely one liter – so you can also estimate rather exactly how much water or wine was drunk during the day or the evening company. I refill the carafe again. One liter. I enfold it while I start pouring into »a jar,« and put »volume,« down as soon as »a jar,« is full. The water produces a lively ripple during pouring. The water covers a distance. From »volume,« to »a jar,« and from »a jar,« into my mouth, into my body. It tastes nicely fresh, it didn't stand for too long.

day 12 - sunday, 10.07.2022

When Uli Aigner made the ten pieces of One Million for »Large Unordered Sequence (Detail)« she mailed »I'm now VERY pleased with the dishes. And let's see how they return from baking ... it looks as if you could cover the whole demand of dishes of a 2 people household only with those 10 dishes and their manyfold possible use ... there are plates cups bowl vase jar ... the biggest aren't too small, not too big, not too level not too deep, some kind of equilibrium of forms and possibilities.« We then agreed that Silke and I – as soon as we would get them – only would use these dishes for eating and drinking at home for two weeks. And I thought about it and wrote her: »I thought about it. The plates are possibly somehow a slightly western or more modern requirement. Naturalized. An extension. But I rather wouldn't like to miss them – I like plates! But I would regard it as an own detail, as two additional plates. So the idea would be, that these would join them later on, if you appreciate it. But in a way, so it is clear they don't belong to the first edition, but then would be a kind of follow-up. (And because of the numbers a bit later and not directly connected.)« So I sent her a new detail of my »Large Unordered Sequence« for two plates. And this time so, that there are two enumeration elements, thus two commas. (In the first edition we have an erratum, each comma is missing at the end.) Uli produced both plates – and so there were all together a dozen pieces which she sent to me. Insofar the opening speech for today. We stayed out of home over night and returned on Sunday about eleven o'clock am. Time for a late breakfast. And I have again a closer look at the plate »foundation, society,« (6765). A very good size, a clear rim, so nothing would slide down easily. Scrambled eggs with prosecco and parsley, a slice of bread on the side. Foundation, something in the stomach. Society, I eat together with Silke. Eating as a way of communication, people come together. The mouth eats, the mouth talks, eyes have a look at each other.

day 13 - monday, 11.07.2022

Today Kilian is again visiting for brunch – and because I have a closer look at the twelveth and final dish I thought I make something that hasn't been made so far. We still have a package of Tramizzini bread from Italy. And on each I place a ball of buffalo mozzarella and then two poached eggs beside. Olive oil, Balsamico, salt, pepper, completed. It looked brilliant on »the layer, a possibility,« (6766). Kilian had the same on »foundation, society,«. Unfortunately the mozzarella was a bit sour, though the expiration date was a few days ahead. So I didn't eat everything. But besides this a marvelous breakfast. The plate »the layer, a possibility,« is also round and flat and doesn't have a so characteristic rim like »foundation, society,«. I sit in front of it while I am typing this. A layer for food, wether bread or something you need knife and fork for, a possibility to try so many things. A plate that opens up a defined space. Just a little while ago I ate a salad made from tomatoes, sweet pepper and cucumber. Now it is rinsed and empty and offers place for the imagination, for the anticipation what there is to come. Having a mind to good meals and good conversations.

day 14 - tuesday, 12.07.2022

Already the last day of our two weeks. We know now the dishes, we are familiar with them. It was very nice, that the twelve pieces were simply placed on our dining table the whole time – also because we don't know where to put them. Our couple of kitchen cabinets and compartments which we have are full. And therefor we simply took from the table what wee needed, what we fancied. Actually a nice way to have everything present and not only what is being used at the moment. The two weeks were also a kind of combination, free choice, play. Now in the evening Silke and I prepare dinner. For antipasti beautifully big green olives. A prosecco Valdobbiadene. First ravioli with pumpkin stuffing. Then gnocchi stuffed with Gorgonzola. Olive oil! Red wine! Water in »volume,«! There is even a desert. Tiramisu with fresh strawberries.

Was it a limitation, the two weeks with only those twelve pieces? No, actually not. Nevertheless in future I am going to drink wine mostly from glasses. But I am not talking about theses dishes exclusively, they don't want to be tyrannical. But simply want to be used gladly. And the word elements from the »Large Unordered Sequence« open it up for language. A play with memories, expectation and fantasy. Thus every piece has its own name. You take »a jar,« or »content,«, »volume,« or »foundation, society,«. You drink, you eat and perhaps you also have those words on the tip of your tongue which continue talking, each in your very own text.

Two details from »Large Unordered Sequence« which are hereby primary published – not even in a magazine or a book, but on dishes – two editions in Uli Aigners One Million, in a series of ten pieces and on of two.

»ein Gefäß, Schluck, Inhalt, nicht zu voll, die Leere vermeiden, angelegte Lippen, die Flüssigkeit, über den Rand, Handhabung eines Behältnisses, Volumen,« [translated: »a jar, mouthful, content, not too full, avoiding emptiness, touching lips, the liquid, over the rim, handling of a container, volume, «]

»Grundlage, Gesellschaft, die Ebene, eine Möglichkeit,« [translated: »foundation, society, the layer, a possibility,«]

And the commas at each end? They show that it is going on! That the text isn't at its end! That the next meal is coming definitely! Hopefully excellent!

Nikolai Vogel

(29. June - 12. July 2022)

translated by Kilian Fitzpatrick