"Underground, for me, is the seed where everything sprouts from. Underground are the morlocks from H.G. Wells' time machine."

ThE FantastiC WorlD Of LUDO MICH

Ludo Mich is a Belgian based artist rooted in the fluxus movement. Known for his holography know-how, his visual art pieces and surprising performances. Ludo Mich is a painter, sculptor, holographer, musician, performance artist and fluxus associate best known for the series of hysterical films he made in the sixties and seventies, especially: 'Lysistrata' (1975), an adaptation of Aristophanes' satirical poetic comedy into a strictly personal ludic burlesque. All actors perform naked. This was due not simply to the budget being too small to accommodate the appropriate costumes and regalia; Ludo Mich also intended to use his particularity to heighten the impact of Aristophanes' anarchistic ideas. 'Saturnus' (1971) by Ludo Mich still remains one of the topworks of the Belgian Underground Cinema of the sixties and seventies...                                                            Photo by Sara Anke

Ludo was born in 1945 in Antwerp, Belgium. He started his career in 1961 when he began experiments with all the possible art forms: fluxus happenings, painting, electronic music, sculpting, theater, street and sound performances. Since then he has performed all over the world and released lps, cds and tapes of his many music projects and collaborations. Ludo has produced films on 8mm, 16mm, 35mm, video and digital.  He has collaborated with other artists and musicians such as Thurston Moore, Paul LaBrecque, Sigtryggur Berg Sigmarsson, Dennis Tyfuss, Jennifer Walshe, Blood Stereo, Wataru Kasahara, Kiyoharu Kuwayama, Burial Hex, The Joyous Cosmology, Syed Kamran Ali, Pascal Nichols, Roman Nose, Blue Yodel, Mama Bar, Kommissar Hjuler and more.  Now in his 60's, there is no stopping him.  This past summer he toured Belgium with Crank Sturgeon and before the year is out he will take the stage to perform at his daughter's 30th birthday party. LUDO IS FANTASTIC, is an upcoming portrait film of the artist by Woven Skull’ drummer, Willie R. Stewart to be released in 2015.

Interview by Michael Limnios

What do you learn about yourself from the underground art and what does the Counterculture mean to you?

Underground, for me, is the seed where everything sprouts from. Underground are the morlocks from H.G. Wells' time machine. The rest is Wikipedia.

What characterize Ludo’s philosophy?

Creation comes forth out of Destruction. That's dialectics.

What experiences in your life have triggered your ideas most frequently?

I had many holographic experiences.

"If art will become singularity, I will become very horny. The black hole of art." (Photo: Ludo Mich by Jan Matthé)

What has been the relationship between humor and satire in your life and art?

E = MC 2

How does affect your inspiration?

Everything? If you're conscious you get inspired.

What were the reasons that made your generation to start the artistic, social, spiritual searches and experiments?

EVERY GENERATION HAS IT'S own spiritual searches and experiments. My generation wanted to react on the previous generations and I think in this aspect there are still people experimenting with new ideas to counter established conventions...

Which meetings have been the most important experiences?

Every encounter is equally important. Consciousness is horrible.

Are there any memories which you’d like to share?

The seconds that came after he Big Bang.

What do you miss most nowadays from the past?

My memory.

What are your hopes and fears for the future of art?

If art will become singularity, I will become very horny. The black hole of art.

If you could change one thing in the people/world and it would become a reality, what would that be?

The whole world, but I’m not god. God zij drank.

"Every Generation Has It's own spiritual searches and experiments. My generation wanted to react on the previous generations and I think in this aspect there are still people experimenting with new ideas to counter established conventions..."

(Photo: Ludo Mich, Antwerp, 1966)

What are the lines that connect the Beats with Counterculture and continue to Fluxus movement and beyond?

The lines are still running.

What has made you laugh lately and what touched (emotionally) you? Happiness is…

This interview.

How you would spend a day with Aristophanes?

I would take him to a Greek restaurant, we would drink ouzo and eat lots of tzatziki (Greek garlic sauce). And discuss politics.

What would you say to Buddha? 

Buddha: I hope Buddha wouldn’t disturb the party.

What would you like to ask Frank Zappa?

Ask Frank Zappa? How come you didn’t invite me to your 200 Motels?

Where would you really wanna go via a time machine and what memorabilia (books, records) would you put in?

The Library of Alexandria where I would like to put in all the books to change the Real History.

Photo by Jens Mollenvanger