From Opposite Sides

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    the e(terior of the structure compe5isitors to sit !ith their bac*s to thefountain directin$ their 5ie! a!ayfrom it separatin$ the fountain frompublic access and its site) :n this!ay he comments on ho! !or*s of

    art can be remo5ed from the !orldthey inhabit confined in the museumas in a saniti&ed art $ra5eyard)

    1hat Michael 4sher has done o5erthe course of successi5e MnsterSculpture Project manifestationssince his .77 project :nstallationMnster /'ara5an !as concei5ed isto place a cara5an in each of .>chosen spots throu$hout the citydurin$ the course of the e(hibitionThe cara5an as such becomes anicon of domestic life on the road) 4s

    a metaphor for one !hos desire is to brin$ ones !orld alon$ !ith them the cara5an comes to symboli&ea br$erlich pro5incial thin*in$ li*e that !hich tri$$ered the demonstrations a$ainst the Mnster Projectat its inception) The !or* throu$h its photo$raphic documentation re5eals the chan$es !hich ha5eoccurred in the city o5er the ?0 years and four successi5e manifestations of the Project) The pedestriannature of the !or* belies its si$nificance as a mar*er of time and location) The art !or* !hich is mo5ede5ery Monday to each of its successi5e .> locations can sometimes be found loc*ed in its $ara$e becausethe cityscape has altered so si$nificantly that the ne(t location no lon$er e(ists to accommodate it)

    Sil*e 1a$ners Mnster@s -eschichte 5on Anten /The 9istory of Mnster from#elo! stands in front of the city Stadthaus 'ity 6ffices) :t is concei5ed as amonument to Paul 1ulf !ho at a$e se5en and one of four children !as

    remo5ed from his home) 3i*e Michael 4shers displaced cara5an 1ulf couldno lon$er be accommodated !ithin the apartment inhabited by his $ro!in$family or so it !as claimed by the Ba&i $o5ernment of Mnster) Thus he !asmo5ed to an asylum for the mentally ill and there sterili&ed by the Ba&is)Curin$ his life he fou$ht le$al battles for reco$nition and compensationa$ainst !ar crimes and became despite his small physical stature an icon ofresistance to o5erreachin$ $o5ernmental injustices) The artist co5ers 1ulfsbody !ith 5arious historical documents in the style of an information *ios*these chronicle political and social stru$$le a$ainst nuclear ener$y and theneed for ade+uate housin$) Throu$h 1a$ners collaboration !ith theAm!elt&entrum 4rchi5 Mnster Dn5ironmental 4rchi5e Society she furtheropens the potential for communication of these ideas beyond 1ulfs body tothe !orld 5ia the internet)

    65erall these !or*s are not monumental in scale but reflect a more humansi&ed format suitable for indi5idual reflection) %or e(ample :sa -en&*ensAntitled umbrella compositions feel 5ery much homemade) 9er project ispositioned adjoinin$ the Eber!asser*irche and bein$ di5ided into .2installations has adopted a stations of the cross metaphor for theirassembla$e) She creates a po!erful statement about childhood and

    adolescence in an a$e !here children of affluence tend to ha5e it all) :n this !or* childrens toys dolls

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    and 5arious accessories are scared !ith paint or dismembered seemin$ly a metaphor for ne$lect orchildhood afflictions li*e attention deficit disorder resultin$ from e(cess and information o5erload)

    Maria Pas*s #eautiful 'ity reflects a sense of the communes of the si(ties) :t offers a 5ariety of reli$iousdialo$ues presented throu$h a series of lectures and e5ents hosted !ithin her tent encampment) Thisopen community !elcomes the 5ie!er !ith !ater and tea and a profusion of literature on political social

    and reli$ious topics) #y offerin$ unconditional access to shelter and participation !ithin a harmoniouscommunity this !or* as !ell as 4sches cara5an and 1a$ners monument underlines the importance ofaffordable housin$ in todays housin$ mar*ets)

    4t the Drbdrostenhof a former palace in baro+uestyle !here Richard Serra placed t!enty"foutons of steelF durin$ the Mnster SculptureProject of .87 4ndreas Sie*manns Tric*leCo!n Cer Gffentlice Raum im Heitalter seinerPri5atisierun$ Public Space in the Dra of itsPri5ati&ation ma*es an e+ually si$nificantstatement usin$ more modest means) Sie*mannshreds the fiber$lass co!s bears $eese andother fi$ures !hich ha5e become per5asi5e inurban centers in -ermany and beyond due tothe mar*etin$ efforts of cities) These elementsare assembled in one lar$e ball"li*e structure!hich is meant to reclaim the urban landscapeand offset the pri5ati&ation of public space) ThusSie*mann opens for dialo$ue the notion thatthese corporate sponsored fi$ures are usurpin$public spaces !hich are perhaps better ser5edby the indi5iduali&ed statements of 5isual artists)

    The majority of the !or*s in Mnster Sculpture Project of 2007 reflect an intimate format !hich contrasts

    !ith popular interest in !or*s of epic proportions) 9o!e5er fi$urati5ely spea*in$ these !or*s are lar$erthan life in their po!er to con5ey timeless subjects and sa$e commentary) This raises the +uestions isbi$$er really better and can art and ideas transform societies and social consciousness, 'learly in thecase of the Mnster Sculpture Project the modest has found its place and has succeeded in ma*in$ a lar$eimpact)

    6ther projects to consider !hich are on 5ie! in-ermany at this time are Cocumenta in Kasselcurated by Ruth Boac* and Made in -ermanyhosted at three separate 5enues in the city of9anno5er)

    Cocumenta lac* luster at best does ha5e its hi$h

    points) The sho! stopper by 5eteranchoreo$rapher Trisha #ro!n is a .7.installation called %loor of the %orest) 4 brilliantinstallation and 20 minute performancecontained !ithin a +uadratic !eb of rope andattached clothin$ !hich the ? performers slo!lyna5i$ate donnin$ a spectrum of shirts pantsand s!eaters as they mo5e alon$ throu$h the

    piece) The art!or* ta*es it name from a symphony of e5er chan$in$ shado!s !hich play upon the floor)

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    4nother memorable piece !as a multiple channel 5ideo installation The 3i$htnin$ Testimonies of 2007 by4mar Kan!ar from Be! Celhi :ndia) This !or* documents actual e5ents in the history of :ndia Pa*istanand #an$ladesh throu$h !hich !omen ha5e suffered se(ual 5iolence) The flo! of ima$es historicafoota$e shattered 5essels inter5ie!s and a panel play of natural elements pro5ide a cathartic tribute$i5in$ 5oice to all 5ictims of these atrocities) 4nother 5ideo !or* !orth mentionin$ is IWho is listening?I

    from Ju 'hin Tsen$ !hich in one of its se$ments sho!s children bein$ sprayed by the artist !ith mil*)This simple concept recorded !ith a camera placed 5ery close to the children is e(tremely re5ealin$) :tsho! all the emotions that pass across the faces of the artists youn$ subjects from tense e(pectation toborderline tears as the mil* is ejected and finally cheerful pride as they stru$$le to re$ain theircomposure) These !or*s pro5ide reason enou$h to ma*e the passa$e to Kassel !orth !hile)

    3i*e the cherry on top of Schttes column in Mnster the real treat !as in 9anno5er !ith the three"parte(hibition entitled IMade in -ermanyI) The three sites curated independently at Cie Kestner$esellschaftby D5eline #ernasconi 'aroline Kdin$ and %ran*"Thorsten Moll and at the Kunst5erein 9anno5er byMartin Dn$ler and the Spren$el Museum 9anno5er by Susanne Meyer"#ser and -abriele Sand containthe !or* of >2 artists born bet!een .. and .7 and presently !or*in$ in -ermany) Mar*in$ theentrance of the Cie Kestner$esellschaft is a remar*able s!ayin$ chandalier the !or* of Stephan 9obarThis sho! included some of the best 5ideo !or* comin$ out of -ermany artists li*e 'andice #reit&Bathalie Cjurber$ 'hristoph -irardet 'hristoph Keller #jorn Melhus and Lulian Rosenfeldt) 6therhi$hli$hts are sensational installations such as #it %all by Lulius Popp computer $enerated te(t !ritten!ith fallin$ !ater and a mysterious !or* entitled 1hat the , by RothStauffenber$ a team composed ofartists 'hristopher Roth and %ran& 5on Stauffenber$) These e(hibitions of mi(ed re5ie! ultimately ma*eclear the 5itality of the -erman art scene)

    =F Ta*en from Sculpture Projects Muester 07 erla$ der #uchhandlun$ 1alther KGni$ KGln

    Kimberly Marrerois an :ndependent 4rt 4d5isor and 'urator !ho also ser5es as an 4rts Dducator at the SolomonR) -u$$enheim Museum in Be! Jor* 'ity)

    Ron Roccois an :ndependent 'urator and multimedia artist !ho has sho!n in numerous 5enues

    !orld!ide and li5es and !or*s in Be! Jor* and #erlin -ermany)