Current Events

Prototypen und andere seltsame Dinge

1. December 2023 – 28. January 2024
Group Show, Kunstverein Arnsberg, Arnsberg

Wenn Künstler*innen nach neuen Ideen suchen, erforschen sie Formen und Gestalten, um ihre Gedanken auszudrücken. Oft lassen sie sich von bestehenden Dingen inspirieren und bringen sie in unerwartete Konstellationen. Neue Bedeutungen und Verständnisse der Welt, in der wir leben, kommen so zum Ausdruck. Kunst entwickelt sich zur Formbehauptung. Das Erstellen eines künstlerischen Prototyps oder ein Prozess, den wir Materialisierung nennen, ist dafür ein Schritt zwischen der Formalisierung und der Bewertung einer Idee. Sie ermöglichen die Projektion und Imagination in etwas, das viel größer ist als die Dinge selbst. Für die diesjährigen Jahresgaben 2023/2024 hab en wir eine Auswahl von Arbeiten getroffen, die sich mit dieser Materialisierung künstlerischer Alternativideen befassen und sowohl nach innen als auch nach außen schauen. Sie sind Gedankenkörper und Schritte, um Ideen neue Formen zu geben, die wiederum neue Anfänge und Orientierung in einer Welt erm ö glichen, in der wir uns in zu vielen Bedeutungen verloren haben.

With: Aram Bartholl, Rana Hamadeh, Neda Saeedi, Marco Bruzzone, Aaajiao, Malte Bartsch, Thomas Kiesewetter, Jeewi Lee, Farkhondeh Shahroudi, Viron Erol Vert, Solweig de Barry, Sarah Kirsch

Ihr Paket ist abholbereit

8. July 2023 – 25. February 2024
Solo Show, Kunsthalle Osnabrück, Osnabrück

On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, the Kunsthalle Osnabrück is showing Aram Bartholl’s most comprehensive solo exhibition to date. Aram Bartholl is one of the pioneers in Germany who deals with socially relevant conflicts of digitality and automation through art. Originally coming from the field of architecture, he uses his performative interventions, sculptures and workshops to question our current media behaviour as well as the public economies that are linked to social networks, online platforms or digital distribution strategies. He puts socially relevant topics such as surveillance, data security or dependency on technology up for discussion by transferring the gaps, contradictions or absurdities of our digital everyday life into spatial settings.

For the Kunsthalle Osnabrück, Aram Bartholl transformed the Kunsthalle´s church space into a walk-in recycling yard for electronic waste. The scenery is illuminated by three sculptures hanging from the ceiling, reminiscent of chandeliers that are made from recycled televisions. The result is a sensual as well as functional installation of complementary exhibition parts that invite us to reflect on the cycles, consequences and future perspectives of our daily consumption of media and goods. The walk-through parcours made of piled up electronic waste makes the amount of recycled material of our belongings visible and creates a unique environment for a diverse art mediation programme  including workshops, plena by local climate activists, repair cafés, excursions, lectures and film screenings. Oversized QR codes on the church walls frame the setting and raise critical questions about our handling of energy resources, raw materials and labour rights in the digital society. Opposing the electronic waste, the exhibition contains a 30-metre-long DHL Packstation, which is put into operation during the exhibition period. Osnabrück citizens and visitors are able to pick up their parcels at the Kunsthalle Osnabrück and drop them off in the respective lockers.

Curators: Anna Jehle and Juliane Schickedanz
Curators public programme: Louisa Behr, Joscha Heinrichs, Anna Holms and Christel Schulte.

Funded by the Stiftung Niedersachsen (Foundation of Lower Saxony) and the Niedersächsische Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur (Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture). The VGH Stiftung (VGH Foundation) is funding the accompanying exhibition’s art mediation programme. With the kind support of Deutsche Post AG, Lerec Elektrorecycling GmbH and Osnabrücker ServiceBetrieb.

Credits:

Curated by: Anna Jehle, Juliane Schickedanz (duo team, directors of Kunsthalle)
Curatorial assistance: Anna Holms
Public Programming: Aram Bartholl, Louisa Behr, Joscha Heinrichs, Anna Holms, Christel Schulte
Installation team: Norbert Hillebrand, Timo Katz, Andreas Zelle
Exhibition office: Natali Märtin
Visitor service: Frank Berger, Ulla Brinkmann, Harcharan Gill, Sina Lichtenberg, Kaan Ege Önal, Josef Wegmann
Finances: Viktoria Puskar
Janitor: Wilfried Wienstroer
Janitorial assistance: Frank Berger
PR: Kristina Helena Pavićević
Art mediation and education: Christel Schulte

pictures

Enigma

25. February 2023 – 25. February 2024
Group Show, Museum of Communication, Kopenhagen

Communication pervades our lives more than ever before. With the digital channels, we are constantly accessible and can publish ourselves wherever and whenever we want. But despite the many great opportunities, the tide of information may often appear confusing, polarizing or hateful, and our public conversation is challenged.

On November 19, 2022, ENIGMA will open new exhibition areas and a large children’s area, in which we look forward to welcoming everyone.

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Upcoming Events

Did you get my message?

8. March – 30. May 2024
Solo Show, Kunstverein Rotenburg, Rotenburg

Der Kunstturm
4 Etagen – 122 Stufen – 24 m

Eigentlich sollte der nicht mehr benötigte Schlauchturm der Feuerwehr Mitte der 90er Jahre abgerissen werden, um Parkraum für das Erlebnisbad “Ronolulu” zu schaffen. Aber Peter Möhl, damaliger Geschäftsführer der Stadtwerke und damit Eigentümer des Turms, schwebte eine sinnvolle Nachnutzung vor. Zusammen mit dem 2. Vorsitzenden des Kunstvereins, dem Architekten Jürgen Lohmann, wurde die Idee geboren, den Turm zu einer Galerie umzubauen.
Lohmann entwarf einen modernen Anbau als Entree, ließ vier Ebenen in den Turm einbauen und führte die erforderlichen Sanierungsmaßnahmen mit viel Rücksicht auf die vorhandene Bausubstanz durch. Seit 1996 ist der “Kunstturm” Domizil des Kunstvereins Rotenburg e.V. und, wie es der Kulturminister des Bundes (Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien), Bernd Neumann, anlässlich eines Besuchs seinerzeit formulierte, “ein Leuchtturm der Kunst in Niedersachsen”.

Transmediale Exhibition: you’re doing amazing sweetie

31. January – 29. February 2024
Group Show, Kunstraum Kreuzberg, Berlin

Exploring the horror of content, the 37th edition of transmediale you’re doing amazing sweetie questions how logics of content production determine and frustrate our relations to technology. The festival takes place from January 31 to February 4, 2024 at silent green Kulturquartier, Akademie der Künste, and Haus der Kulturen der Welt. The festival’s main exhibition will be on view at Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien.

Decoding the Black Box

27. January – 2. June 2024
Group Show, Galerie Stadt Sindelfingen, Sindelfingen

Die Ausstellung Decoding the Black Box bringt Künstlerinnen und Künstler zusammen, die Licht in diesen dunklen Raum und die Prozesse werfen, die sich in ihm ereignen. Sie legen dabei nicht nur die Funktionsweisen digitaler Technologien wie beispielsweise von künstlicher Intelligenz offen, sondern visualisieren zugleich die Auswirkungen, die sie auf unsere Wahrnehmung von Realität und unser In-der-Welt-Sein haben. Während sie die ökonomischen und machtpolitischen Strukturen der digitalen Technologien und insbesondere des Internets transparent machen, zeigen sie Gegenentwürfe für eine dezentralisierte, humanere und demokratischere Nutzung ebendieser auf.

Street 3.0

23. – 28. December 2023
Group Show, Osaka Kansai International Art Festival, Osaka

Osaka Kansai International Art Festival Vol.3

Ai Hasegawa / AQV-EIKKKMA / Algorythmic Perfumery / Aram Bartholl / BYNAM / ETAT LIBRE D’ORANGE /FISHKOM / Goo Nakayama / Hisashi Yamamoto / Kimihiko Hino /Makoto Aida / MOCAF / NEANDERTAL / II / Rintaro Hashiguchi / @shashinn / STORA SKUGGAN / Takehiro Ishitani + Chim Pom from Smappa!Group / Thomas Vautier / Tomotosi / VERYONE / Simon Weckert / Yuichi Inoue / YAP / ZOOLOGIST

Recent Events

Perspektiven von Kunst im öffentlichen Raum

21. October 2023
Talk, Fachtagung der Kunstkommission Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf

Kunst im öffentlichen Raum – Wirken in der Stadtgesellschaft

5 Jahre Kunstkommission Düsseldorf
Fachtagung zu Perspektiven von Kunst im öffentlichen Raum der Stadt
Zur Sicherung künstlerischer Qualität und um eine neue Planungskultur sowie eine aktive Teilhabe an der Diskussion um die Kunst im öffentlichen Raum zu ermöglichen, hat der Rat der Stadt Düsseldorf die Kunstkommission Düsseldorf etabliert. Diese hat vor fünf Jahren ihre Arbeit aufgenommen und bereits diverse Projekte im öffentlichen Raum realisiert. Aus diesem Anlass lädt die Kommission am Samstag, 21. Oktober 2023, herzlich ein zur Fachtagung zum Thema

Perspektiven von Kunst im öffentlichen Raum.

In Podiumsgesprächen mit Impulsvorträgen sollen die verschiedenen Facetten von Kunst im öffentlichen Raum erörtert werden. Welche Bedeutung hat Kunst für die Stadtgesellschaft? Wie kommt Kunst in den öffentlichen Raum? Oder wie gehen wir mit Bestandskunst um? Das sind nur einige Fragen, die in diesem Zusammenhang diskutiert werden sollen.

Die Veranstaltung ist in zwei Blöcken gegliedert: vormittags werden Strukturen zur Organisation und Realisierung von Kunst für den öffentlichen Raum betrachtet werden, nachmittags liegt der Fokus auf “best practice” mit der Beleuchtung von Herausforderungen an beispielhaften Projekten.

Die Fachtagung findet statt von 10:00 – 18:00 Uhr im Palais Wittgenstein, Bilker Str. 7-9, 40213 Düsseldorf.

*cringe*

29. September – 8. October 2023
Group Show, HGW STD, Athens

The term “cringe” has resurfaced on the internet in recent years. According to Google Trends statistics, there has been a significant increase in searches for this term, which has been steadily rising since 2016. “Cringe” refers to a reaction of embarrassment or social awkwardness. This feeling arises when we become aware of our own uncomfortable actions or when we empathize, or even mock, someone else’s behavior that causes us secondhand embarrassment.

The term “cringe” encompasses a wide range of emotions, making it a versatile word to describe various incidents. However, its usage and application have been shaped by internet communities. Not only is it widely known and used, but it has also managed to bridge divergent identities.

People of different ages, races, genders, political affiliations, and other backgrounds find a common language of communication through “cringe” online. Similar to the existence of metaphorical languages for artistic subjects, “cringe” has spawned a metaphorical language for artistic expression. This is evident in many contemporary works, both digital and non-digital, and has given rise to new artistic media such as memes. “Cringe” has become an overarching concept that encompasses a broader range of social embarrassments.

The universality of identifying with “cringe” when faced with discomfort or socially awkward situations could position it as a contemporary Sublime. Historically, the Sublime has been associated with aesthetic theories heavily influenced by the social dynamics of the time. However, does “cringe” represent a modern form of the Sublime? Has it emerged in response to a shift away from a prescribed aesthetic? We currently exist in a time where collective digital languages are being created to understand a wider range of identities and where a diversity of aesthetic influences is prevalent.

Considering that aesthetics today are multifaceted due to the World Wide Web and the widespread dissemination of information, this exhibition aims to explore these ideas. Through artworks that construct an intimate fusion of references to our digital identity, it presents a familiar chaos that challenges viewers to organize it, while deeply engaging with their present human identity.

*cringe* Curated by: Socrates Stamatatos, Dimi Kalabo 29 SEPTEMBER-08 OCTOBER 2023

Artist talk

16. September 2023
Talk, Neues Museum Nürnberg, Nürnberg

Aram Bartholl stellt im Gespräch mit Kuratorin Susann Scholl seine aktuelle Installation auf dem Klarissenplatz vor. Anhand von weiteren Beispielen gibt er darüber hinaus einen vertiefenden Einblick in sein Werk, in dem Analoges und Digitales häufig auf feinsinnig-absurde Weise aufeinandertreffen.

Kunst Basis Ebertplatz vol.2

15. September – 6. October 2023
Group Show, Ebertplatz Köln, Köln

Zwischen Unort und Denkmal – KUNST BASIS EBERTPLATZ

Un-möglich! Un-verschämt! Un-geheuerlich! So einfach und prägnant wie sich das ‚Un‘ den Worten voran- stellen lässt, voller Überzeugung und Empörung über einen Sachstand, so schnell ist es auch ausgespro- chen und damit in der Welt.

Im Hinblick auf den Eberplatz, den wir in den vergan- genen Jahrzehnten als einen mehr oder weniger un-gepflegten, un-instandgehaltenen und mit un-funk- tionierenden Rolltreppen und un-installierten Beleuch- tungssystemen kennenlernen durften, ist es ein Leichtes, das ‚Un‘ vor den Ort in der Kölner Neustadt
zu setzen. Der Un-Ort ist damit gemacht. Fertig. Und während seit Jahren auch die Empörung über das Un- Mögliche an der Präsenz des Ebertplatzes kultiviert wird – es braucht eben immer einen, der herhält und über den leicht zu schimpfen ist –, so stellt sich hier und da die Frage, wer denn nun genau gescholten wird.

Der Platz selbst kann nichts für sich, aber wer war es dann? Die un-mögliche Stadtverwaltung! Die Vernachlässigung des Platzes ist eine größere Sünde als die Architektur selbst!

Curated by Stefanie Klingemann

Blog Archive for Month: September 2008

Chat at Researchers' Night Zurich

September 30, 2008


Zurich was great fun. The first time that I had so many kids using Chat. All pics on flickr.

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Egg Egg Egg

September 30, 2008


A beautiful DIY paper craft egg model called “ei ei ei” I saw during the Researchers’ Night Zurich last week. From a perforated sheet of paper you could easily ‘click’ a perfect egg. Nice! More info (german) and a PDF download here.

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Blinkenlights alive again!

September 30, 2008


A new version of the famous Blinkenlights called Stereoscope is about to get launched on city hall Toronto the next days. New technology for the ‘screen’ has been developed and an application for the iPhone is already available.
I am very curious for the interaction factor. 🙂
Good luck to Tim and the team!

All news on blinkenlights.net/blog

Pic of the first test run yesterday. Looks great!

Michel de Broin

September 30, 2008


I love the works of Michel de Broin! Very good stuff!
http://www.micheldebroin.org
thx for the link Jerry!
Great Encounter
Two refrigerators, Plexiglas shape
By definition a refrigerator stands alone in its corner and, withdrawn from the world, it controls its atmosphere and protects its contents. Its door must be kept closed, otherwise it looses its cool. This withdrawal explains the isolation of refrigerators.
Is it possible to envision the encounter between two refrigerators? In this installation, two solitudes unite through a canal connecting their inside worlds. This unusual encounter produces a mist on the surface that binds them together.

Urban Screens Melbourne

September 30, 2008


My good friend Mirjam is about to open the Urban Screens Melbourne festival/conference on the upcoming weekend. Looks like a promising program (Saskia Sassen etc…). If you are Downunder go there and take a look.
www.urbanscreens08.net
**********************************************************************
Urban Sreens Melbourne 2008
Public Multimedia Program: 3.-8. October 2008
Conference “Mobile Publics”: 3.-5. October 2008
http://www.urbanscreens08.net
**********************************************************************
As part of USM08, Melbourne’s central city square comes alive with an
Extensive outdoor exhibition that explores the diverse local infrastructure
of urban screens, utilized to create the atmosphere of a lively modern
public space.
USM08: Connected Communities is a free public multimedia exhibition
exploring the influence of digital moving images in public spaces utilizing
the infrastructure of Federation Square and temporary LED screens, in
selected regional Australian cities.
The exhibition is a six-day program that experiments with the programming
of a wide range of cultural content, suitable for urban screens. USM08
presents film screenings, an artistic short film program, interactive art,
audiovisual performances, projections, VJ sets, live streamings and public
remote talks.
The international program includes e.g. specific artistic night an morning
screenings, considering the issue of light and sound pollution, a special
local indigenous program, futuristic films such as Spielberg’s Minority
Report or visual thought provoking films such as Koyaanisqatsi as well as
interactive screen-based projects including Falling Times – a participatory,
news translation machine based on the universal language of signs; Seed –
whereby people receive a ‘seed’ via their mobile phone that they can grow
into a tree on the big screen; and MobiSpray – an application that allow
visitors to digitally spray paint the architectural façade, StalkShow – a
screen backback performance, dealing with the threat of insecurity and
isolation in public space or Reflections, a real-time documentary about our
emotional connection to water and urban screens experience.
USM08 has invited Melbourne-based festivals and their creative communities
to share the platform of USM08 to explore ways of inspiring the city to
modernise the use of urban screens. Selected highlights from partner events
such as the New York based Streaming Museum, Art at the Heart from Alice
Springs and Blinkenlights Stereoscope from Toronto will be broadcast live as
part of the Joint Broadcasting program.
All the info you need is on: http://www.urbanscreens08.net
contact: info@urbanscreens.net
USM08 is initiated by the International Urban Screen Association and hosted
by Fed Square Pty Ltd. The multimedia program is produced with the
assistance of the Australian Government through the Australia Council for
the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body, the conference developed in
cooperation with Melbourne University.
_______________________________________
URBAN SCREENS MELBOURNE 08
www.urbanscreens08.net
Mirjam Struppek
Artistic Director

STREET art?

September 25, 2008


(Hmm… is this an adidas street art viral?
No, fortunately not. The three stripes which behave against all traffic street signage mark out the track for the Berlin Marathon on the upcoming weekend? How about teaming up for an early little marathon during Friday afternoon traffic rush hour? 😉 Found on Torstr/Rosenthaler Platz, Berlin)

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Construction Site Mark Up Language II

September 25, 2008


(“Don’t move!” another beautiful unintentional piece found on Borsigstr. Berlin)

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Public Interface Studies II

September 25, 2008


( Pin code input pad on a Deutsche Bank ATM in Berlin Prenzlauerberg.)

Hmm … isn’t that strange? It seams like everybody has a one, nine or zero in his/her four digit pin code and very few people a six or a two. Do banks have any special algorithms on generating pin codes which are simple to learn by heart? Or do we have a security issue here? Yes, true my code does not contain two, four or six. Am I in trouble now … 😉

Essay on “Friends”

September 24, 2008


Thanks to Theo Honohan who did write an interesting essay on my latest project “Friends“.

Friends

Aram Bartholl’s workshop Friends actualizes the processes of abstraction and distancing which are involved in the construction of contemporary social networking websites. By turning these immaterial processes into physical action and representations, the work offers a critical model of current software practice on the web.
Under the general name of Web 2.0, social networking sites provide various facilities for publishing content on the web. In the case of Flickr, the content is images; in the case of Delicious, bookmarks; Last.fm, music playlists; Facebook and myspace, general personal information. The material published on these sites is often not particularly interesting to a general viewer. Its value consists primarily in the availability of information to friends. The ability to explicitly create links of friendship between users is therefore the central feature of these sites, and the feature from which the name “Social Networking” is derived.
Bartholl’s work, which could have been titled Friends?, calls into question the value and meaning of these explicit declarations of friendship. For one thing, the mechanical nature of the process gives it a simplistic quality. Two people are either friends or they are not, according to the system. This binary coding of relationships leaves no room for gradations of familiarity from intimacy to acquaintance. This initial observation is enriched by the level of detail into which the piece goes in representing the internal abstractions of a site such as Facebook. Each level of abstraction can be seen as a distancing from reality and the site of a possible slippage between image and actuality.
The process of creating a personal profile in the system begins with a digital photograph. This image of the user is transformed digitally into a black and white stencil. Affixing a printout of the stencil to a rubber stamp, the user cuts out the white areas to create a reusable stamp of their own image. In creating a reusable stamp, the work captures the infinitely reproduceable nature of a digital image. The image can appear over and over within the “site”, rather than existing just as a single original.
The creation of a profile continues with the preparation of a blank booklet for use as a register of friends. The booklet gains structure entirely through a series of rubber stamps which mimic the process of formatting a blank computer database. Data slots are created for name, email address and website, and a further grid of spaces is prepared to hold references to the user’s details on other social networking sites. The process of registering friends involves stamping, carbon-paper transfers, and the gluing of pre-prepared adhesive stamps into the “data slots”. The complexity of this process parallels the degree of indirection and formality involved in the software behind a social networking site, if not the experience of creating friends on Facebook. Bartholl, by calling attention to this complexity, illustrates the degree to which the information we share fits into an elaborate structure.
The process of adding friends to one’s personal profile is a reciprocal one; each of you ends up with a new page in the booklet showing the details of your new friend. The piece has another component, however, a central volume which includes a page for each user which records their friends (affixed as stamps) and pending friend requests (unglued stamps are held in a plastic pouch.) The analogy here is with a central database on a system such as Facebook. The whole graph of relationships is held in one place, rather than being stored in private, personall relations between profiles/booklets. This central volume is of course the way social networking systems are actually implemented, while the “peer-to-peer” architecture of the booklets, while offering potential advantages in security and privacy, has not been pursued (except, to a degree, in the case of Skype.)
The presence of a central database is a reminder of the industrial scale and automation of the process. Bartholls’ work problematizes the mass production of social contacts. While the concrete formal techniques of the workshop (sheets of repeated portraits) evoke images of an artistic practice such as that of Andy Warhol’s “Factory”, the abstract structure revealed by the development of a profile and network of friends shows the potentially dehumanizing nature of social networks. The choice of black and white for all representations produces an impression of direct simplicity but also unyielding control. The idea of a computerized social network, in the end, is a formalism, while social relationships are blurry, vital and inevitably exceed the terms of any fixed representation.
23 September 2008

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Game Over – Video

September 23, 2008

I was not allowed to embed this nice video but fortunately I know how to write in hyper text markup language. When you click with your mouse pointer at the following uniform resource locator adress starting with hypertext transfer protocol your web browser (A web browser is a software application which enables a user to display and interact with text, images, videos, music and other information typically located on a Web page at a website on the World Wide Web or a local area network.) will hyperlink you automatically to the movie. Isn’t that great? (Next time I ll explain what YouTube is.)

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovvk7T8QUIU

Sorry for waisting your time. 😉

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