Introduction

Mushroom Case, 1997

The "Mushroom Case", as shown in the exhibition Gift is illuminated by a light bulb hanging from the ceiling.Originally, Carsten Höller had installed his revolving Amanita in nature - for example in a forest - amidst its natural counterparts. Therefore, Mushroom Case is not only an independent work; it also offers in practical terms, the possibility to transport it.

A-Rad, 1997
The design of A-Rad is reminiscent of the Bayer Group's logo – the inventors, producers and distributors of pharmaceutical products, such as aspirin. In his installation AAAAA Bohnen, 1997 (shown in the Sprengel Museum, Hanover) Höller took advantage of this similarity and not by chance. Once switched on, A-Rad rotates on its own axis while the light bulbs continually alternate from fully lit to almost faded out.

Raumteiler, 1997

Carsten Höller's Raumteiler has been made from milky white plastic. The sterility of the material, apart from its formal appearance, makes it almost suitable for clinical use. In addition to its function as a space-dividing element, it also serves as a projection screen for the video Charité, which shows in fast forward, a 24-hour emergency ward of an East Berlin hospital. 

Muscimol, Charité, Muscimol 3. Versuch, 1997

These three videos form one complete work.In contrast to Charité, Muscimol and Muscimol 3. Versuch are shown on monitors. While Muscimol 3. Versuch documents a personal experience of Höller’s as part of a self-experiment, Muscimol is more of an interpretation of a possible scenario. 

In the former, a black-and-white video, the documentary aspect is emphasized by the fading in of date and time: through the eye of a motionless camera, it can be tracked how much time passes until Höller - after having taken a hallucinogenic drink prepared from Amanita surrenders to his intoxication, and how long this lasts.

Muscimol, on the other hand, tells a complete story: of Höller's arrival in a hotel suite, the preparation - in this case cooking - of the Amanita, its consumption and Höller's condition after this meal, which is characterized by various shifts in perception. It ends after a greenish change of appearance, with Höller's "departure" as a new / different person.