ISSN 2000-8155
SEK100/€10/US$11/£8.70
artist-run art magazine
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Uppsala konstmuseum Filippa Arrias & Pauliina Turakka Purhonen Himlen är blå och solen är en klocka 29 augusti–22 november 2020
Hösten 2020 AKB – Anna-Karin Berglund • Anna Nyberg • Anna Petrini, Christian Wallumrod, Qarin Wikström • Cajsa Holmstrand • Camille Norment • Differnet • Elli Hemberg • Elsa Tölli • Eva Runefelt • Filippa Arrias • Goose & Daniel Ögren • Judith Kiros • Klara Lewis • Lundahl & Seitl • Kurt Simons • Lars Erik Falk • Maj Bring Nachla Libre • Nicole Neidert • Olle Bærtling • Pauliina Turakka Purhonen • Tove Berglund • Trio Ramberget Museum Bar & Café med Cajsa’s Kök
www.uppsalakonstmuseum.se
Editorial team EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ALICE MÁSELNÍKOVÁ EDITORIAL BOARD ALICE MÁSELNÍKOVÁ, STUART MAYES, ANDREAS RIBBUNG CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ANNA EKROS, JASMIN GLAAB, FELICIA GRÄND, YVONNE IHMELS, ALICE MÁSELNÍKOVÁ, STANISLAV MÁSELNÍK, STUART MAYES, ONE GEE IN FOG (LUCAS CANTORI AND CAMILLA PAOLINO), PASAJ TEAM CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS & PHOTOGRAPHERS MAURO RODRIGUES (8), HAIBO YU (9), SHOENBERG3 (9), ZHU DIFENG (9), STRIPPED PIXEL (9), ALICE MÁSELNÍKOVÁ (10–17), STANISLAV MÁSELNÍK (18), ANDREAS RIBBUNG (19), PAULINA GRANAT (20–23), JASON RHOADES (25), ANNA EKROS (25), ANISH KAPOOR (27), SHURA SKAYA (27), LIN DE MOL (29–30, 33), HELENE KARLSSON (31–32), HP SKOGLUND (31), YVONNE IHMELS (32), PONTUS RAUD (35–38), ANDREAS MARTI (40, 46), AUSSTELLUNGSRAUM KLINGENTAL (41), HANS BERTOLF (42), PETER KINNY (49), GIORGIO CAIONE (51), PAOLA FERRARIO (51–52), KIM JOHANSSON (52), GUSTAV LEJELIND (52), BURAK KABADAYI (53), BIRGIT AUF DER LAUER & CASPAR PAULI (54), HKW BERLIN (55), HACER Kıroğlu (56), KORHAN KARAOYSAL (56) GRAPHIC DESIGN KATHARINA PETER LANGUAGE EDITING AND PROOFREADING ALICE MÁSELNÍKOVÁ, STUART MAYES ADVERTISING SALES NADJA EKMAN ADVERTISING CONTACT AD @SUPERMARKETARTFAIR.COM PRINTING PRINTON TRUKIKODA LTD PUBLISHER PONTUS RAUD
artist-run art magazine #10
Creative directors
Andreas Ribbung
Alice Máselníková
1. Alice likes to read a book every day, because it feels nice to turn the pages, hear their shuffling voices and sniff the delicate library dust. 2. Alice’s unique quality is her ability to come up with fun games that amuse everyone without exception. 3. If Alice were to fall down the rabbit-hole she
would not get perplexed by the lack of logic – she would dispute it and win all the arguments. 4. Alice has a big master plan in her mastermind. 5. It would never occur to Alice to join when eve-
Pontus Raud
1. Pontus likes to check his horoscope every day, because it might be true. 2. Pontus’ unique quality is his limitless generosity. 3. If Pontus were a lobster he would be wary of surrealists. 4. Pontus has a big collection of rare cacti in his studio. 5. It would never occur to Pontus to compromis e.
ryone else is running in the same direction.
Proofreading and language editing Forum coordinator
1. Andr eas likes to go to gallery openi ngs every day, because it brings a warm feelin g to his heart and gives him butterflies in his stom ach. 2. Andr eas’s unique quality is his inexh austi ble capacity for joyful socialising. 3. If Andr eas were a casta way on an island in the midd le of the Pacific Ocean, he woul d build a magnificent palace out of cocon ut shells , befriend a lion and marry the local princess. 4. Andr eas has a big surprise hidde n in his lustro us beard. 5. It would never occur to Andr eas to watch a romantic come dy, or come to that any kind of film, witho ut crying.
Press team
Felicia Gränd Kasia Syty
Kenneth Pils
1. Felicia likes to give treats and sweets to Britney every day, because it's her dog obvi, did you think it was the popstar?? 2. Felicia's unique quality is her amazing vocabulary!
3. If Felicia were a Britney she would be the popstar not the dog. 4. Felicia has a big dictionary in her head. 5. It would never occur to Felicia to hit a baby one more time. She would not even hit it once!
1. Kenneth likes to drink pink ink every day, because he hopes to transform into a flamingo. 2. Kenneth’s unique quality is the ability to read animal minds. 3. If Kenneth were an ABBA-memb er he would be Agnetha Fältskog. 4. Kenneth has a big inflatable pool in his studio. 5. It would never occur to Kenneth to get a tribal tattoo.
Photography and education coordinator
Talks & Performance programme coordinator
Anna Ekros
Franziska Sperling
1. Kasia likes to take a bath every day, because it helps her relax. 2. Kasia’s unique quality is her mind-bending humor. 3. If Kasia were a dog she would be a Welsh Corgi. 4. Kasia has a big lucky charm in her pocket. 5. It would never occur to Kasia to stop any wild art-project idea.
Meetings programme coordinator Katarina Evasdotter Birath
1. Anna likes to sing to her plants and flowers every day, because it makes her and her plants present. 2. Anna’s unique quality is overtone singing ‘chöömij’ in combination with playing a hand forged mouth harp at the same time. 3. If Anna were one of her flowers she would appreciate the original, wayward sing and play performance heartily. 4. Anna has a big Impatiens Bequaertii plant, one of her favourites, in her kitchen. 5. It would never occur to Anna to forget watering and perform for that [favourite] one!
1. Franziska likes to drink at least one cup of coffee every day, because it is a nice excuse to hang out with her friends. 2. Franziska's unique quality is the ability to have a good and meaningful conversation with several people at the same time. 3. If Franziska were an evil villain she would swap all the captions in Stockholm's museums. 4. Franziska has a big treasure map in her wallet. 5. It would never occur to Franziska to let her plants suffer from thirst.
1. Katarina likes to run up the stairs like a gorilla, because it’s just more practical. 2. Katarina’s unique quality is to play Bohemian Rhapsody by snapping her fingers very quickly. 3. If Katarina were a cheese she would be creamy gorgonzola. 4. Katarina has a big door on which is written ‘keep closed and locked at all times’ in her basement. 5. It would never occur to Katarina to go to sleep without flipping her pillow to the cold side first.
Floor manager Paulina Granat
1. Paulina likes to underestimat e statistics every day, because it never pays to overestimate them. 2. Paulina’s unique quality is a replace ment X14OSX4 part that never runs out of waxy grease. 3. If Paulina were a chiropractor, she would be liable to make regular malpractice insurance payme nts. 4. Paulina has a big bowl of celery in her basem ent, handed down from generations of Granat ancestors. It has not decaye d. 5. It would never occur to Paulina to invert the meaning of left and right, but only in her head, and only for odd-numbered hours of the day.
PNP and Forum
Information
coordinator
coordinator
Lucie Gottlieb
Sophie Lindberg
1. Lucie likes to boogie every day, but especially on Saturday night, because it puts her mind at ease, keeps her joints flexible and makes her feel con-
nected to the universe. 2. Lucie’s unique quality is that she can turn virtually anything into a delicious meal by adding two secret ingredients. 3. If Lucie were a werewolf she would use her scary stare to lure fair huntsmen in her lair.
4. Lucie has a big fluffy poodle in her backpack. His name is Poodly and not only are they best friends who can talk about anything, but above all he has the power to time travel and takes Lucie for wonderful trips to the past and the future. 5. It would never occur to Lucie to forget to sing La Marseillaise and place French flag under her pillow before she goes to bed.
1. Sophie likes to sing loudly every day, because it makes her happy knowing her neighbours despise her for it. 2. Sophie’s unique quality is showing ’mansplainers’ how the world really works. 3. If Sophie were a person of immense power and influence she would have everyone go naked all the time, because the clothing industry is bad for the environment. 4. Sophie has an ant colony in her purse. 5. It would never occur to Sophie to run a dildo factory again.
Book keeping Jörgen Helte
Supermarket team 2020 Graphic design Maga zine, Catalogue Katharina Peter
We asked the team members to complete five open sentence s with ultimate truths about one of their colleagues, as well as draw each other's likeness in a series of team portrait s.
se 1. Kathi likes to train her rabbit every day, becau she wants it to go to the rodent Olympics. 2. Kathi’s unique quality is that she immediately g finds a matchi ng pair of socks in the washin
machin e. 3. If Kathi was a seagull she would snatch your hotdog out of your hand. rd. 4. Kathi has a big bounci ng castle in her backya local her in shop to Kathi to occur never would 5. It pharmacy withou t her bonus card.
Webmaster John W Fail
Ad sales Nadja Ekman 1. John likes to reflect upon the vastness of the universe every day, because it makes him feel empowered to willingly and actively accept that all living creatures live and die within the same impossible form of existence and this insight somehow relieves his own existential dread. 2. John's unique quality is his mostly hidden but impressive talent in interpretive modern dance. 3. If John were a shoe he would allow you to walk comfortably for five hundred miles, and then another five hundred more. 4. John has a costume in his wardrobe for every theme party you could ever think of. And he can't wait to show them to the world. 5. It would never occur to John to stop fighting against capitalist society and the bourgeoisie.
Proofreading and language editing 1. Nadja likes to hum for the figures in her glass menagerie every day, because it makes them
cooperative. 2. Nadjas’s unique quality is to befriend kittens without necessarily having them follow her home. 3. If Nadja was a bumblebee she would play in a noise rock band and drink Hennessey. 4. Nadja has a big scarlet red sapphire in her purse. 5. It would never occur to Nadja that her neighbor, the one always saying good morning as she is rushing out of the house, would have warm feelings for her.
Stuart Mayes
1. Stuart likes to hum Pomp and Circumstance every day, because it gets him in a jolly European mood. 2. Stuart’s unique quality is his wonderful baritone. 3. If Stuart were a whale he would sing the most
heartbreaking song. 4. Stuart has a big karma in his mind. 5. It would never occur to Stuart to swear in public.
När du har en utställning i Oslo När tavlorna välter i lastbilen När du spiller kaffe på datorn När nån snor dina alster När nån nallar din smartphone När nån snubblar in i din skulptur När du trampar på en spik När nån trampar på din spik När du hamnar i rätten När du hamnar på sjukan en tid När du flänger på jobb i Berlin När du får en vattenskada i ateljén När det brinner i knutarna Rätt skönt att ha allt försäkrat
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3
Editorial team
51
8
Supermarket team 2020
6
Made in China
Felicia Gränd
Editorial
I can’t go on, I’ll go on PASAJ Team
Content
10
Truth in the age of fabrication Stanislav Máselník
19
Fabrice’s fabrics and Freud’s miscarriages Lucas Cantori & Camilla Paolino for one gee in fog
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25
Chelsea on a Thursday afternoon in November
Kolonin / The Colony The mud, the loneliness and the landscape
Anna Ekros
Yvonne Ihmels
59 39
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The Swiss artist-run scene 2020
A year on … and not much wiser
Jasmin Glaab
Stuart Mayes
60 61 62 63 64
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AllArtNowLab Candyland
Detroit Stockholm Flat Octopus
Grafiska Sällskapet Hjorten
ID:I Galleri Konstnärshuset Galleri Nef Galleri Nos Studio 44 Tegen2 Galleri Toll SUPERLOCAL Info Point
Editorial Updated Several months have passed since I initially wrote this
to believe in, notwithstanding the facts overwhelmingly
editorial reflecting on the theme Fabricated that we
claiming the contrary, the impact that our beliefs have, or
selected for Supermarket 2020. The context has now
what our reason tells us. We form such convictions about
changed considerably, not only for us and the rest of the
the world around us, and above all we form them about
artworld, but for everyone, and I feel the need to add an
ourselves. Since who could live with oneself without
update to the words I have already written. The interna-
believing in one’s own righteousness, in making good
tional version of Supermarket 2020 has just been cancelled
choices, in being a person who holds the right values and is
due to the coronavirus pandemic and related issues with
intrinsically good. Most of us try to convey this image to
international travel, funding and restrictions on visitor
other people at all costs, because our image is the only
numbers. We instead decided to organise a local art fair
thing the world sees of us, which, consequently, influences
– Superlocal 2020 – with satellite exhibitions in Stock-
how we estimate ourselves. We fabricate and refabricate
holm’s artist-run galleries. This situation is something quite
our lives daily to maintain this identity image – which is not
unprecedented and has proven challenging for both large
an illusion, since it is a key part of who we are, but it is an
and small cultural organisations, as well as individual
elusive image nonetheless.
artists and creative practitioners. The already weak points of the art sector have easily risen to the surface, further
The very core of postmodernism, in the form it has
enhancing the lack of sustainable funding and income to
acquired in today’s western society, is based upon the ideas
smaller art organisations and artists around the world, our
of blind belief in the importance of the self, the ease of
dependency on freedom of mobility and visitor numbers.
replacement of anything, and the fabrication of truth. It feeds easily into our individual fact-constructs and it is one
Although Supermarket began as a small local event and
of the keys to its success and prevalence. The world
throughout the years always included Swedish and
surrounding us is designed to make us happy; fabricated for
Stockholm-based galleries, the last decade has marked the
our individual needs, beliefs and comfort, and is being
art fair growing and becoming increasingly international.
constantly updated to keep us satisfied. The idea that the
This year, the focus must be suddenly shifted from the
individual is a god whose image cannot be soiled, but is
colossally international to small and territorial. But perhaps
pampered and comforted so that they continue supporting
this is not such a bad thing after all: we finally have the
the equally selfish system, is ever-present. It is I who
time and opportunity to spotlight the local independent art
deserve to be happy and successful – and the solution for
scene. It is part of human nature that what we have closest
this is that I need to buy and consume more. Yet, we are
to us and easiest to reach is often that which we tend to
still not happy, which, as Ayn Rand noted as early as 1943 in
overlook the most. We hope that with SUPERLOCAL 2020
The Fountainhead, is because it is not us who are the real
we will manage to direct the attention of our visitors to the
source of our own desires anymore. She stated:
diversity of artist-run spaces that the various Stockholm districts have to offer.
“If any man stopped and asked himself whether he's ever held a truly personal desire, he'd find the
This issue of the Supermarket Art Magazine will be
answer. He'd see that all his wishes, his efforts, his
published as intended; without the catalogue of interna-
dreams, his ambitions are motivated by other men.
tional exhibitors, but listing the Stockholm galleries
He's not really struggling even for material wealth,
together with a map of their location in the city. The
but for the second-hander's delusion – prestige. A
Fabricated theme remains the main focus of the magazine,
stamp of approval, not his own. He can find no joy in
being as relevant as ever in the times when we are flooded
the struggle and no joy when he has succeeded. He
by new coronavirus theories, stories and statistics on a
can't say about a single thing: 'This is what I wanted
daily basis.
because I wanted it, not because it made my neighbors gape at me.'”
Fabr icated
The media and enterprises feed us with messages directed by their own or their governments’ agendas that are rarely questioned, if often well-meant. The consumer has only
Fabrication begins simply: with oneself.
limited means, time or will to check or contemplate them in
It is quite astonishing how much we believe what we choose
depth in a society focused on efficiency. The developments
in technology have made the level of self-indulgence
In this issue of Supermarket Art Magazine, several articles
limitless at the same time as hidden marketing strategies
deal with the topic of fabrication. Felicia Gränd’s article
become more and more elaborate. We like to think that we
Made in China looks at the different cultural understandings
intentionally choose our sources of facts, yet the facts are
of ready-made objects in the East and the West. Stanislav
smoothly shaped for us to choose them, be it through clever
Máselník in his extensive article Truth in the age of fabrication
advertising, social media or ads that pop up during our
provides insight and reflection on the postmodern under-
internet browsing. We can and do continuously make our
standing and exploitation of truth. Finally, Lucas Cantori &
choices, so there is no need for further reflection or
Camilla Paolino in Fabrice’s fabrics and Freud’s miscarriages
independent thinking – or is there? But what kind of choice,
take you into a fictional bizarre universe of a missing sister
and who gives us the options, are quite different questions.
and a strange manuscript.
We all make a selection of the information sources that fit
A year on … and not much wiser by Stuart Mayes looks at the
our worldview, we listen to facts that we want to listen to in
lingering uncertainty surrounding Brexit, and its impact on
order to feel in control of our up-to-date knowledge and to
British artists, and Anna Ekros ponders art and existence
hide the unwillingness to accept someone else’s facts. At
during her New York visit in the article Chelsea on a Thursday
the same time, many people snap when faced with a
afternoon in November.
contrasting opinion, unable to defend their arguments, only
In connection to the 100th year anniversary of the
repeating what they heard on their favourite liberal or
diplomatic relations between Sweden and Switzerland, we
conservative news channel. The status of conflict, and
bring you information on the Swiss artist-run scene in The
conflicting opinions being something unsavoury have
Swiss artist-run scene 2020, an article by Swiss artist and
stalled many possibilities for discussion.
curator Jasmin Glaab. Presenting various artist-run spaces from around the world
The postmodern world is a relative one, where anything can
is one of our goals, and in this magazine’s issue Yvonne
be labelled as true, beautiful or valid, and where the value
Ihmels writes about Kolonin, a community and an artist
is placed on the subject. This, on the one hand, leads to a
driven space in Arvika, Sweden. PASAJ, an artist-run space
plurality of opinions, ideas, styles and thoughts that was
in Istanbul, Turkey, is presented in the article I can’t go on,
not possible to reach in the past. On the other hand, what is
I’ll go on and placed in the context of Turkish contemporary
good, in a world of generic values? What is good in a world
art scene.
where there is no right or wrong? How is information produced and consumed in a world that is centred on
So, again, fabrication works simply: through oneself. And no
relativism, simplified communication, efficiency of input
one wants to give that up. Fabrication can be a fun process;
and output, opportunistic manipulation of facts or soft
to fabricate involves imagination and creativity, and
covered-up censorship? Any group with a certain power, be
especially in the arts it has played a major role throughout
it financial or cultural capital, intellectual supremacy or
history in the production and dissemination of artworks. As
educational privilege, likes to believe that it is the only one
in any other case, however, when employed as a part of a
who has the right opinion.
mass ideology, it is turned into nothing but a useful tool to spread its values.
The biggest problem is that no one cares much for truth
I hope you enjoy reading about the theme and that you get
anymore. As long as we can maintain our illusions and
to appreciate the local Stockholm art scene.
individual happiness; as far as our self-image rests intact and our consumption needs are satisfied, all is well. The idea of a community plays only a minor role today. Community no longer represents a group of individuals living together based on shared values and needs. Instead it consists of individuals all of whom have their own values and identities, and who refuse to be grouped together, as this would mean discussing and making compromises. This is of course counterproductive: in its hysterical struggle to become heterogenous, postmodernism has produced some of the most homogenous ways of thinking and social behaviour.
áseln A lice M
d it íková, E
ief or-in-ch
Made in China
Made in China the era of the T’ang dynasty some 1400 years ago. Back then, copying an artwork would signify appreciation and one’s serious take on learning the
Felicia Gränd
techniques of the ancient masters. In simple terms the Chinese process of learning is heavily influenced by the act of imitation. The sacred original in the west has its counterpart in the masterful template in the east. Needless to say the list of clashes with the west is long and closely monitored by international media. With a first recent example being the Austrian town of Hallstatt, which in 2012 saw its identical twin come to life in Chinese town Luoyang, Boluo County, in the Guangdong province. An act of imitation carried out sans dialogue with representatives of Hallstatt that was eventually deemed rude and inappropriate, sarcastically called out by many as a tawdry attempt to leech off the picturesque corners of Europe. Some years prior to Hallstatt gaining its twin, a series of Chinese-manufactured replicas made it to Europe. Namely back in 2007 the Museum of Ethnology in Hamburg exhibited what the institution initially thought was a series of 2000 year old terracotta soldiers first discovered in the 1970s – later revealed to be all copies. The incident caused a heated debate, finally resulting in the closing of the exhibition altogether. In a final turn of
8
events, information surfaced confirming the manufacturing of the replica soldiers had already started at the same time as the original ones were being excavated – with production situated on the archeological site itself. After years of the west gaping at the east, a western re-evaluation of what constitutes uniqueness and consequently quality would inevitably reveal new Replica statues located in Buddha Eden park, Adobe Stock, photo: Mauro Rodrigues
horizons. Skillful imitation might not be sought after in the west, but deeming it second best has to be considered a naive approach to a culturally rooted practice every bit as long standing as the
In the western world imitation often translates to
raved over original. Understanding the importance
limitation. In a society steeped in the concept of
of craftsmanship and commitment to process in
originality as the very ignitor of cultural expression,
China is key in order to shift focus from viewing it
imitation is more often than not seen as second
as a limitation to instead perceiving it as cultural
best. In contrast, the Chinese rather revere the act
variation.
of imitation. One must nevertheless look beyond the
However, and not surprisingly, recent articles in
endless rows of market stalls brimming with
western media highlighting Chinese artists are
replicas of European luxury items. The cheap
devoid of any further descriptions of uniqueness of
counterfeits widely associated with China are
expression or artistic achievement. A scoop that is
merely one of its many manifestations. Arguably,
fit for a sensationalist is one way of describing
imitation in its different forms is woven into the
these, and the reason being the common trend of
very fabric of Chinese society and intrinsic to all
portraying the artist as a mass-producing machine
parts of its culture, from the arts and architecture
of cheap replicas of the European masterpieces.
to fashion.
Nuances are scarce but they exist. If barely
In order to reach further understanding of the act of
noteworthy and on the more absurd side, a
imitation in today’s China we must glance back at
recurring observation is that many artists who gain
A female painter, image still from documentary ‘China’s van Goghs’, courtesy of Haibo YU, 2016
Dafen Group portrait, image still from documentary ‘China’s van Goghs’, courtesy of Haibo YU, 2016
grace on the replica market have achieved this by customising their take on Mona Lisa to fit the wallpapers of their clients. A few articles present the story of an artist who after having spent twenty years copying Van Gogh in his native city of Shenzhen finally arrived in Europe to see the real best be described as a rite of passage earning him the title of true artist having bowed before the original. It seems not out of place to prescribe the western media some introspection. The contrasts between the east and the west are bold, even a little mind twisting at times, but even so they are cause for contemplation. Is it the art of fabrication or the fabrication of art? ■
Village of Hallstatt in Austria, Adobe Stock, photo: Shoenberg3
deal. Derived from the media rhetoric, his story can
Byung-Chul Han, ‘The copy is the original’, extract from ‘Shanzai: Deconstruction in Chinese’, 2017, translated by Philippa Hurd, and published by MIT Press. Extract published 8 March 2018. Available at: https://aeon.co/essays/why-in-china-and-japan-a-copy-is-just-asgood-as-an-original Didi Kirsten Tatlow, ‘Why Do the Chinese Copy So Much?’, 25 July 2012. Available at: https://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes. com/2012/07/25/why-do-the-chinese-copy-so-much/ Régine Debatty, ‘Imitation, exploring China copy culture’, 14 July 2013. Available at: https://we-make-money-not-art.com/imitation/ Sarah Cascone, ‘After Years of Painting Van Gogh Replicas, a Chinese Artist Fulfills His Dream: A Trip to Europe to See the Real Thing’, 19 July 2018. Available at: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/ chinas-van-goghs-dafen-documentary-1315319 Brendan Seibel, ‘China's Assembly-Line Artists Put the Mass in Masterpieces’, 3 April 2014. Available at: https://www.wired. com/2014/04/china-art-reproduction-susetta-bozzi/
Replica of a terracotta warrior sculpture found in Xian, China, Adobe Stock, photo: Zhu Difeng
References:
‘The Tradition of Re-Presenting Art: Originality and Reproduction in Chinese Painting and Calligraphy’, © National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan. https://www.npm.gov.tw/exh96/re-presenting/ intro_en.html
Felicia Gränd holds a BA degree in Media & Communications from Stockholm University and currently continues her studies in marketing and graphic design. She has been working as Press & Social media officer at Supermarket – Stockholm Independent Art Fair since 2017. Lover of the written word, a bit too fond of dogs, fancy cheese and high quality wool garments.
Two headless Terracotta Warriors at Dongtai Road Antique Market, Shanghai, Adobe Stock, photo: Stripped Pixel
Karen Shidlo,‘ China’s Fake Art: Grab yourself a perfect Van Gogh replica for $37’, 1 July 2013. Available at: https://www.fluxmagazine. com/chinese-art-fake-art/
Eating and raising children under the gaze of Van Goghs, image still from documentary ‘China’s van Goghs’, courtesy of Haibo YU, 2016
Truth in the age of fabrication in the age of fabrication Stanislav Máselník
Illustrations: Alice Máselníková, 2020
10
Do we have a problem with truth in our society?
have been religious, revolutionary, or reactionary,
And what is truth, that it could be regarded as a
according to Lyotard they have been swept away by
problem? In her editorial to this magazine, Alice
transformations within capitalism as well as
proposes an answer to this question and argues that
through the advances in linguistics, cybernetics and
‘[t]he postmodern world is a relative one, where any-
communications. At a more fundamental level,
thing can be labelled as true, beautiful and valid.’
however, there was a failure within science itself
Such observation comes without surprise, since it
and its mission to legitimise knowledge (Lyotard
captures the core of how postmodernity has been
1984, p.xxiii). While the scientific questioning might
described since 1979 when Jean-François Lyotard’s
have previously ushered in the downfall of religious
work La Condition postmoderne (Postmodern Condition in
dogmas, with these gone, the scrutiny turned
English) brought the term into contemporary
towards the presuppositions enshrined in its own
philosophical discourse. In this work, Lyotard
method. In this, Lyotard and his postmodern
reflected on the state of knowledge in the second
successors inherited the explorations of authors
half of the 20th century and argued that ‘incredu-
such as Thomas Kuhn (1964 Structure of Scientific
lity towards meta-narratives’ is the best way of
Revolutions) or Paul Feyerabend (1975 Against Method),
expressing its mood. May these meta-narratives
who explicitly interrogated the universalist assump-
tions of the scientific method. As a consequence of these challenges, Lyotard concluded, the great concepts and narratives that have so far dominated our knowledge and understanding were losing their force and their place was being taken by smaller, micro-level communities of meaning. Even science itself is asked to take up a new role: to accommodate difference, to ‘reinforce[e] our ability to tolerate the incommensurable’ (Lyotard 1984, p.xxv), and to ‘undermine from within the very framework in which the previous “normal science” had been conducted’ (p.xix). For Lyotard, truth indeed appears and has to be relative and only thus it corresponds to the multiplicity of interpretation and meaning. Lyotard is both an analyst of postmodernity, but also its apologist and believes that these developments are ultimately for the better. As he concludes his work, his rhetoric further underlines this and turns combative: “Let us wage a war on totality; let us be witness to the unpresentable; let us activate the differences and save the honor of the name.” (Lyotard 1984, p.82). His preferences notwithstand-
(Zygmunt Bauman), hypermodernity (Paul Virilio,
ing, the main characteristics emphasised by Lyotard
Gilles Lipovetsky), ultra-modernity (José Antonio
are in alignment with the description of other
Marina), or even radicalised modernity (Anthony
observers. To begin with, one peculiar aspect of
Giddens) and a second modernity (Ulrich Beck).
postmodernity is that it does not stand in opposition
Albeit their judgments on the postmodernity’s
to modernity, but that it simultaneously surpasses
consequences are different, these authors concur its
and extends it. This ‘continuation factor’ becomes
key feature is the gradual dissolution of traditional
more apparent when we look at more exact terms
boundaries, leading to a fragmentation and
other thinkers use to denote it: liquid modernity
atomisation of the society at large. Alain de Benoist (2015) further adds this is accompanied by the appearance of new, less stable and more transitory individual and collective identities. Frederic Jameson (1984), a Marxist critic, does not hesitate to speak even of the outright “death of the subject” in reference to the repudiation of history by the postmodern self and, consequently, the refusal to acknowledge that meta-narratives transmit anything worthwhile also for today. Jameson argues that since we lose the capacity to put our activity in the context of what was before, which firstly means what concepts and narratives guided our ancestors, the postmodern men and women lose the capacity to organise their past and future into a coherent whole. Hence, also it is not only external narratives that get fragmented, but also the narrative we carry out for ourselves. That can result in the loss of long-term meaning and purposefulness of one’s action, which is instead being replaced by the experience of the eternally recurring, blissful present moment. In confronting our actions internally, Jameson notes, there is a breakdown in the “signifying chain.” Our pursuits turn into a
11
series of unrelated signifiers, into images that are
The relativistic pronouncements in Shakespeare’s
cut off from deeper content, and we endlessly zap
play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark are quite
and snap from one activity to another – as is well
well known and subject to diverse commentaries,
known to any regular user of a smartphone.
but what is less common knowledge is that towards
Whereas for modernity, the typical mood captured
the end of the 19th century they also caught the
in poems of T.S.Eliot's Wasteland or in Munch’s
attention of Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche saw in Shakespeare’s plays (particularly in Hamlet, but also Richard III or Julius Caesar) a demonstration that there is a possibility of taking action even if truth depends on us humans. Hamlet, tasked by his father’s ghost to avenge his murder, is no believer in life’s fundamentals and in fact, he openly questions when other characters cling to pregiven certainties and meanings. For him, the truth of his father’s murder and the necessity of revenge is not ‘his own’, it was imposed on him externally, so to say. Hamlet’s realisation, the correct one according to Nietzsche, is that the truth of life is that there is no truth – only individual perspectives. Hamlet only feigns madness so that he can escape real madness which comes from blind obedience. Hence, in Ecce Homo, Nietzsche can pose the following rhetorical question: “Is Hamlet understood? It is not doubt, but certainty that drives one insane.” Jean-François
12
painting Scream is fear or anxiety, postmodernity
Gautier interprets it as follows: “truths as certain-
levitates in the state of euphoria, “the high, the
ties transform people into docile sheep and oblige
intoxicatory or hallucinogenic reality” that we can
others to invent creative ways of freedom that are
glimpse in Bob Perelman’s China, Andy Warhol’s
difficult to uphold – because solitary freedom makes
Diamond Dust Shoes, or John Portman’s Bonaventura
no sense, just like solitary truth” (2020, p.89).1
Hotel in Los Angeles (Jameson 1984, pp.72-73).
Rather than seeing it as a nihilistic thought, Nietzsche believes he found a solution to suicidal
We need to say this with the qualifier that this is
nihilism for the coming era of moral relativism. The
not how advocates of postmodernism perceive their
reason? Despite accepting the human contingency
cause. Rather, their wish has been to tie the
of all action, Hamlet in the Act Five kills the King
postmodern tradition to the project of liberation of
and thus appropriates his father’s perspective as his
a human being from meta-narratives, which they
own. Relativism can be therefore liberating,
regard as oppressive by default. One notable example is Michel Foucault, who linked the rise of modern nation states with the practice of biopower, that is, the control over population through internalised norms rather than external force. The
“
With the views of ‘me’ appearing supreme,
anything that approaches from outside – any
focus on marginal and marginalised truth as such
authority, be it in schools, local communities or
also has deeper foundations. So when Protagoras,
even master artists – is regarded with suspicion
an Ancient Greek Sophist, states in his treatise
and discredited by default. In consequence, and
Truth/Refutations that “man is the measure of all things,” Plato (1999) interprets it precisely as the justification of relativism and an attack on truth
in spite of its claims about liberation, postmodernism can stand for the worst kind of conserva-
itself. Later on in the Renaissance, Michel de
tism. This is because with the rejection of grand
Montaigne’s Essays (2006) revived this scepticism
narratives and ideologies, people are also asked
towards the human capacity to fully grasp truth
to accept the status quo, since any effort to
with all certainty. His only concession, understandable given the time when he was writing, was that truth in absolutes can be still perceived by God.
change it would impinge on the individually held truths of other people.
Montaigne’s ideas found a subsequent reflection in the work of none other than William Shakespeare. 1 The translation from French is the author’s.
Nietzsche claims, as long as there are individuals
appearing supreme, anything that approaches from
strong enough to fashion their own sense of
outside – any authority, be it in schools, local
existence.2
communities or even master artists – is regarded with suspicion and discredited by default. In
We can see to what extent the above ideas, and in particular Nietzsche’s, provide ‘intellectual ammunition’ for postmodernism. Yet, postmodernity is not just postmodernism with its concern about individual truths and minority voices suppressed in the grand march of history. While questioning the Western metaphysical concepts and giving voice to the full spectrum of views is a crucial lesson to take, postmodernity’s relativism has broader implications than providing such educational value. If individual desires are given free reign and are posited to be the goal of our social system, their inevitable consequence is widespread egoism and narcissism. Since no truths, narratives, or values can be held in common (as postmodernism always regards any commonality as a mask for
consequence, and in spite of its claims about
one set of norms trying to suppress minority
liberation, postmodernism can stand for the worst
viewpoints), by default the social relations end up
kind of conservatism. This is because with the
being regulated by the only mechanisms that
rejection of grand narratives and ideologies, people
remain at disposal: competition, market relations
are also asked to accept the status quo, since any effort to change it would impinge on the individually held truths of other people. Paradoxically, this relates a left-wing thinker such as Lyotard with Friedrich Hayek; a staunch defender of the free market capitalism, conservative values and a radically decentralised order. As Jameson remarks in this regard, “great master-narratives here are those that suggest that something beyond capitalism is possible, something radically different”. “[B]y transforming the past visual mirages, stereotypes or texts,” he concludes, “[it] effectively abolishes any practical sense of the future and of the collective, thereby abandoning the thinking of future change to fantasies of sheer catastrophe and inexplicable cataclysm” (Jameson 1984, p.85). The attention given in media and popular imagination to all sorts of conspiracy theories or the widespread fears about a global pandemia serve as a good example of this.
and judicial contracts. The only social activity that
There are also consequences for arts and culture.
people can thus participate “in common” is the one
Inasmuch as postmodernism is about deconstruc-
that keeps them permanently apart in their state of
tion and bringing in instabilities (Lyotard), it is
separate monads, governed by individual desires
neither capable or willing to create shared meaning.
without end and limit – mass consumerism. In a
As it happens, it is precisely these shared meanings
disavowal of history and without constitutive social
that postmodern arts implicitly rely on: be it
attachments, the ego can only create one’s identity
architecture, fine art, or literature, their practice
by purchasing it. In consequence, the focus of whole
can be best described as pastiche.3 In other words,
society turns to the problems of private hedonism
the styles of modernism, or even of a more distant
and self-development. With the views of ‘me’
past, are taken as bits of information, disconnected
2 Some did not find this convincing. Alasdair MacIntyre (2007, p.22) argues that Nietzsche’s new morality does not provide positive content.
3 Pastiche refers to a work of art that imitates the style of another artist(s) or period.
13
from their historical and cultural frameworks of
dernity are living and experiencing their world as
meaning, and creatively re-used in postmodern
postmoderns.
production. Thus, in architecture, we have mannerist postmodernism (e.g. Michael Graves), rococo
Have we gotten to a dead end and concluded truth is
postmodernism (Charles Moore), neoclassicist
relative? Do the attempts of those who wish it to be
postmodernism (Christian de Portzamparc), or yet
otherwise necessarily lead to a dead end? There is
more others (see Lyotard 1984, p. xviii), but there is
one area where we can explore our questions
no intrinsic content to the postmodern art that
further, because in it problems over truth take a
could be grasped on its own. Many critics of postmodernity therefore emphasise its depthlessness as one of its main characteristics. Jameson speaks of “the random cannibalisation of all the styles of the past, the play of random stylistic allusion,” but even a broader description of what is
“
This is a major paradox of postmodernism:
while there is deemed to be no ultimate truth or judgment that could be valid across all
at play comes from Guy Debord (1992) and the
domains or society, people still speak and
Situationists: it is an addiction to spectacles. When
behave as if such a shared truth was still
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote in the 1848
available and reachable.
Communist Manifesto that “All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned,” they did not realise that some 170 years later, their words would
practical character due to clashes that arise
sound prophetic.
between different groups in society: politics. The main difficulty there appears as follows: how to
14
With such developments in postmodernity, it does
decide in disputes, for example, between certain
not come as a surprise there are many who
radical feminists and the transgender community
forcefully reject it. To quote the recently deceased
with regard to what constitutes being a woman?
conservative thinker Roger Scruton: “A writer who
This dispute currently rages with the greatest
says there are no truths, or that all truth is merely
intensity in the UK over a bill that would reform the
relative, is asking you not to believe him. So don’t.”
law on the recognition of gender. If adopted, personal perception of gender identity would be the sufficient condition for the legal change of sex. “Gender critical” feminists oppose this on the grounds that being a woman is more than a personal declaration and involves shared biological features such as chromosomes, anatomy and hormones, which give the womanhood a deeper grounding. The question obviously ensues how can we mediate, if not outright decide, between these two claims, if the only shared ground allowed by liberalism is the decision of the individual? Since we
This captures the gist of such critique, but the
are talking about a law, it is clear that a decision
‘problem’ posed to truth by postmodernism is
will be made one way or the other, but what moral,
deeper than Scruton allows. The issue lies with the fact that while thinkers such as Lyotard make an active defence of postmodernism (which denotes an intellectual current, not the period), postmodernity would be here with us even without them. It is primarily a description of our age and manner of how we live in it, and only then of the postmodern philosophy that advocates it. There is something fundamentally true about postmodernity, no matter whether one is on the side of its defenders or critics. The ‘truth’ is that we are living in this age and that it appears as a consequence of the historical development within the Western, and now global, culture. In other words, even the critics of postmo-
and with us. MacIntyre calls this “emotivism”: a doctrine that all evaluative and moral judgments are nothing but expressions of preference, expressions of attitude or feeling, while, at the same time, we behave as if all our judgments are still governed by the same objective and impersonal criteria (2007, pp.11-18). How did we get to this in the first place? What is truth that we can still cling to it so strongly, while postmodern society at many levels rejects it in favour of the limited scope of micro-narratives? To get to the root of this problem, we first need a clarification in our dictionary regarding the meaning of truth. If we return to our original question ‘what is truth’ we find that despite the rational or political arguments can we call upon to
transition from modernity to postmodernity, our
decide which claim to support?
definition of truth remains the same. After all, asking about what truth is seems to have so obvious
The point is not that we now decide about this
an answer that we rarely think about it. Lyotard
particular case, but to demonstrate that many of
and his successors certainly acknowledged that
these conflicts are incommensurable. In his text,
truth is relative (and depends on different commu-
Lyotard mentions that we should recognise these
nities and their narratives), but they did not
claims precisely as such and respect them in their
question the essence of truth as such. To provide an
individuality. Even if we agree to it (since some
example, when we say “that music is good”, we rely
might ask why differences and individualities need
on the understanding of what is music (which is a
to be respected, if Lyotard does not accept any
fairly uncontroversial concept) and on what is good
shared ground between people for doing so), this
(which, for proponents of relativism, necessarily
does not provide any aid for taking the political
needs to receive different answers, whereas in the
decision about what the final law in the UK in this
past we might have relied on one well defined
particular case will look like. In addition to the
understanding of the beautiful, composition and so
incommensurability of the conflicts, what is
on). However, no matter whether we agree on what
remarkable is that each side or party still labels
good music is, it remains the case that our proposi-
their position as true, in spite of any acknowledged
tion ‘music is good’ is true if something such as
or latent arguments in favour of relativism. If
music corresponds to something such as goodness.
indeed truth is relative or subjective, then so is our
This is the understanding of truth as correctness: a
claim about it and the others, surely, need not take
proposition is true, that is correct, if the subject
it any more seriously than a declaration of any other
(music) corresponds to the predicate (good). This is
personal position. Nevertheless, such signs of
what we mean by traditional understanding of truth
humility can nowhere be seen. This is a major
and it was present as such already in the medieval
paradox of postmodernism: while there is deemed
concept of adequatio (Thomas Aquinas: veritas est
to be no ultimate truth or judgment that could be
adequatio intellectus et rei – truth is the adequation of
valid across all domains or society, people still
the intellect to the thing) or even earlier in Aristo-
speak and behave as if such a shared truth was still
tle’s homoiōsis (likeness).
available and reachable. In his book After Virtue, Alasdair MacIntyre makes the following observa-
Now, German philosopher Martin Heidegger did not
tion: “the modern radical is [as] confident in the
believe this to be all there is to it and a large part of
moral resources he requires in order to denounce it.
his work focuses on re-examining truth along with
Everything else may be, in his eyes, in disorder, but
other Western metaphysical concepts. Heidegger
the language of morality is in order, just as it is.
asked us to consider how can there be a correspond-
That he too may be being betrayed by the very
ence between our intellect (or what we “have in
language he uses is not a thought available to him”
mind”) and external things in the first place. René
(MacIntyre 2007, p.4).
Descartes had already previously considered this in his 17th century work Discourse on the Method and
So despite all pronouncements to the contrary, the
posited that a guarantee that one’s proposition is
dictionary of the true and correct remains in use
correct is found in the thinking self. Rationality is
15
“
deemed to be so essential to existence that if we
understanding of truth as unconcealment (or
start making our judgments with it as a back-
aletheia, in Ancient Greek) points out that in order
ground, we will come to make only truthful
for (some)thing to correspond to the concept we
statements.4 Heidegger disagreed as according to
have in our mind, it must first somehow appear: in
him, Descartes took the conception of truth as
Heidegger’s terminology, to ‘presence itself’ to us.
correctness as pre-given and tried to find a
That is to say, we first need to have some prelimi-
subsequent justification for it. In doing so, Descartes
nary knowledge or understanding of what we are
only manages to give this conception a new
speaking about, before we can start a discussion
foundation that guarantees it with certainty.
about what prepositions are correct. To return to our previous example; to recognise good music, we must first possess some understanding of music and
That is to say, we first need to have some preliminary knowledge or understanding of what we are speaking about, before we can start a discussion about what prepositions are correct.
goodness and the same applies to all other beings around us. Of course, in the context of postmodernity, we might argue that precisely such understanding is breaking down and what we are left with are fragments. Also as a consequence of this postmodern fragmentation, architecture, culture and art tend to re-adopt the elements of the past, without being able to create a self-standing style
In The Origin of the Work of Art, one of his most
with its own distinctive features. Similarly in the
famous works, Heidegger (2002) on the relationship
case of politics, the disputes over such fundamental
between art and truth tries to show that the latter
concepts as womanhood have as a starting point
has another, older conception, which is present
the historical understanding of being a woman –
already in the work of pre-Socratic thinkers
even if it is subsequently rejected by the transgen-
Anaximander, Heraclitus and Parmenides. This
der movement. There is more to this conception however. On the
16
discussion of Van Gogh’s painting of peasant shoes, Heidegger tries to show that the role of artwork is unconcealment. According to Heidegger, this painting reveals the world into which the peasant shoes are set – as a world of peasant toil and struggle with natural elements. In a similar fashion, as argued by Jameson (1984, p.75), the best works of postmodernism allow the perception of fragmentation and radical differences as the mode of relating to each other in our time. From this perspective and in this specific sense, the art is apolitical: its role is not to advocate this or that cause, but to unconceal what has been hitherto hidden from our sight. This can be an insight into how the contemporary society is (for example as fundamentally fragmented, in the case of postmodernity), or, in the most privileged position that Heidegger left for art and for which he held in particular regard the poet Friedrich Hölderlin: shedding a light on the nature of truth itself. To letting art speak for itself, or ‘letting things be’ in general, Heidegger opposed the manner of 4 In Part IV of his Discourse on the Method, Descartes puts it as such: “I supposed that all the objects (presentations) that had ever entered into my mind when awake, had in them no more truth than the illusions of my dreams. But immediately upon this I observed that, whilst I thus wished to think that all was false, it was absolutely necessary that I, who thus thought, should be somewhat; and as I observed that this truth, I think, therefore I am (COGITO ERGO SUM), was so certain and of such evidence that no ground of doubt, however extravagant, could be alleged by the sceptics capable of shaking it, I concluded that I might, without scruple, accept it as the first principle of the philosophy of which I was in search.”
understanding that he found most characteristic for our time and which would be applicable without distinction to both modernity and postmodernity. It might surprise the readers that Heidegger understood such a peculiar way of understanding to be technology. Technology is not this or that
difference of degree and not of essence. What remains is the presupposition that there are subjects that grasp objects, that there is only truth as correspondence, and that nowadays, such ‘truths’ can be correctly appropriated only by individuals. That relativistic and objectivistic worldviews are in no way incompatible is demonstrated in the example of science. Even today, when truths are relative, science serves the same power-seeking function as before, albeit with different hopes and goals. Whereas in modernity, its
“
Fundamentally, our postmodern times are ‘in
truth’ the continuation of the project of moder-
nity: of the effort to understand our world with technological gadget, but a manner of seeing and framing the world that lets everything in it appear only as a source of energy and use for human
correctness and with certainty, with the unfortunate consequence that we can only do so by turning it into something visible, graspable, and calculable.
beings. With this in mind, Heidegger called the essence of technology Gestell - a kind of ‘Enframing’ as his English translators put it. Essentially, truth stops being unconcealment and revelation, and
mission might have been most visible in nuclear
turns into fabrication. Whether we speak of
physics, today it is transhumanism that appears as
subjectivism or objectivism, it bears little impor-
one of the science’s most prospective areas. Thus,
tance. Just as the idea of progress submits our
Yuval Noah Harari in his Homo Deus already
perception of reality to the presupposition that
cheerfully anticipates a not so distant future when
every development and every scientific invention is
humans will merge with artificial intelligence to
for the better of humanity, the idea that there are
obtain God-like powers, or Ray Kurzweil predicts
only micro-narratives locks everyone into their own
‘Human Body 2.0’ or even 3.0 enhanced beyond
individual universe. For Heidegger, both result from
recognition by nano-robots. It does not surprise that
the same effort that we inherited from Descartes: to
hopes and investments of billionaires from Silicon
make things certain, graspable and calculable, so
Valley such as Larry Page (Google), Peter Thiel
that they are better manipulable and available for
(Paypal), or Elon Musk (Tesla) are oriented in this
use by human will. Whether this is put on the
direction. Relativism of our relativistic age therefore has a
“
well defined beginning and a well defined end.
Relativism of our relativistic age therefore has a
Postmodernity, for all its claims about individual-
well defined beginning and a well defined end.
ism, subjectivity and relativism, has its own kind of
Postmodernity, for all its claims about individu-
being. As we tried to show, our era takes for granted
alism, subjectivity and relativism, has its own kind of being. As we tried to show, our era takes for granted the concept of truth as certainty, and for the advocates of postmodern approaches, such truth is best attained in the world of fragmented micro-narratives.
the concept of truth as certainty, and for the advocates of postmodern approaches, such truth is best attained in the world of fragmented micronarratives. In other words, to use the phrase of Guy Debord (1992, §54), “its unity is based on violent divisions.” This does not preclude science and technology from continuing their old quest of maximising the human power and capacities, albeit now with a postmodern twist that shifts some of its focus on transhumanist objectives. According to
objective plane to mean for all humanity, for one
Heidegger’s understanding of truth as unconceal-
nation, or for individual egos is for Heidegger a
ment, this is the manner in which our world
17
unconceals itself to us: as fundamentally fragment-
Sources:
ed, as relativistic and, in consequence, missing a
Benoist, Alain de (2015), « Avec la postmodernité, l’individualisme se mue en égocentrisme narcissique… », Boulevard Voltaire. Available at: https://www.bvoltaire.fr/postmodernite-lindividualisme-semue-egocentrisme-narcissique/.
certain historical depth and existential purpose that was characteristic of the past. Thus, what physicist Werner Heisenberg (1958) remarked already at the end of modernity is ‘true’ even more so nowadays: “for the first time in the course of history modern man on this earth now confronts himself alone and … he no longer has partners or opponents.” Fundamentally, our postmodern times are ‘in truth’ the continuation of the project of modernity: of the effort to understand our world with correctness and with certainty, with the unfortunate consequence that we can only do so by turning it into something visible, graspable, and calculable. From this higher vantage point, does it really matter that all is to be certain from individual perspectives, rather than from collectivities and grand narratives? Either way, we end up with a truth as fabrication. To reflect on this, as we tried in the preceding lines, is already to move one step beyond and try to put more light on how our world is. And undoubtedly, this is not only a task for thinking, but also for art – as every time an artist gets to work, he or she has the opportunity to not only move with the flow, not only do what everybody else does, but unconceal to others a little bit beyond – a little bit of truth about our age and
Descartes, René (1993), Discourse on the Method (Project Gutenberg). Available at: https://https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/59. Feyerabend, Paul (1975), Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge (London: New Left Books). Gautier, Jean-François (2020), « La vérité dépend-elle de nous ? », Eléments, no. 181, pp.88-89. Heidegger, Martin (2002), “The Origin of the Work of Art”, Off the Beaten Track (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), pp.1-56. Heisenberg, Werner (1958), The Physicist’s Conception of Nature (London: Hutchinson & Co.). Jameson, Fredric (1984), “Postmodernism, or The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism”, New Left Review, I (146), pp.53-92. Kuhn, Thomas (1962), Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press). Lyotard, Jean-François (1984), The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge (Manchester: Manchester University Press). MacIntyre, Alasdair (2007), After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, 3rd edition (Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press). Montaigne, Michel de (2006), Essays of Montaigne, Complete (Project Gutenberg). Available at: https://www.gutenberg.org/ files/3600/3600-h/3600-h.htm. Nietzsche, Friedrich (2007), Ecce Homo: How to Become What You Are (New York: Oxford University Press). Plato (1999), Protagoras (Project Gutenberg). Available at: http:// www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1591. Scruton, Roger (1996), Modern Philosophy: An Introduction and Survey (New York: Penguin Books).
time. ■
Stanislav Máselník, Rue de la Loi in winter, Brussels, 2018
18
Debord, Guy (1992), La société du Spectacle (Paris: Editions Gallimard).
Stanislav Máselník (*1986) is a writer with a passion for politics and philosophy particularly interested in the manner in which technology is impacting our society. He has an MA in European Studies from King’s College London and a BA in Politics and History from the University of Sheffield. He also loves cycling and photography and works at Mazda Motor Brussels Office as Manager responsible for regulatory research.
Fabrice’s fabrics and Freud’s miscarriages Lucas Cantori & Camilla Paolino for one gee in fog A story of fabricating as meaning-making.
Sample 1 – machine-made tablecloth: pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot dub pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot pit wot dub etc. Sample 2 – handmade collar: my soul must go my soul must go my soul must go my soul must go my soul must go my soul must go ¦ sister sister sister, light the light sister sister sister, light the light sister sister sister, light the light etc. Johanna, Klatsand, summer 1990
Fabrice stared at the manuscript in great confusion. She had found it among her sister’s papers after she
paused, incredulous. Somehow, the very texture of the
was gone, and felt it could harbour the key to finding
cloth was intelligible to her. Was this what the
her in-between its cryptic sequences. Maybe Johanna
manuscript was about? Dazed and feverish, Fabrice fell
knew where her sister was. Maybe Klatsand was the
again into the deepest sleep.
place… But what about those enigmatic notes on fabric
*
samples? What were those nonsensical codes supposed
The next morning, as she walked out of her sister’s
to mean? Was it a poem? A prescription? A farewell?
apartment, she glanced at the sky above her and her mind drifted to the apocalypse. It was only after having moved to Como that Fabrice had come across what the locals called cielo mamma. A thick blanket of
20
clouds, draped throughout the sky as thousands of pending breasts, loomed over the lake, which seemed to respond in kind: a strange effect rippled the dark The pain piercing Fabrice’s left temple grew stronger.
water and nipple-like waving dotted its surface as in
She leaned back in her chair and fell into a deep
communion with the mammatus above. And so she
dreamless sleep.
thought that probably each rippling on the surface of
*
the water must have had its swelling breasty cloud as
When she woke up, drenched in sweat, the sun had
responder, and must have had a lot to talk about.
long been set and the room was soaked with darkness.
Abruptly, Fabrice withdrew from those somehow
She turned on the old abat-jour once belonging to
comforting thoughts and refocused on what she was off to do: reach the Fondazione Ratti as fast as possible. In its archives she might have found some more pieces of the puzzle and possibly be drawn closer to her sister. A piece of blue paper found among her sister’s documents had put her on that trail: it was a registra-
Grandmother and felt her way to the manuscript,
tion form – one of those you fill out when you visit
abandoned a little further on her sister’s desk. The
libraries or archives, and it proved that her sister had
incomprehensible wordings were still there, staring
been there a month before.
back at her from the yellowed page through the dim
*
dusty yellowish light. She read and read again,
About an hour later, there she was, combing with the
obsessively, until her head began to spin, and she lost
tips of her fingers through the greatest collection of
touch with the room around her. Slowly, almost
fabric samples of all times. As her eyes and fingers
automatically, her fingers caressed the hem of her right
scanned dozens and dozens of patterns and textures in
sleeve and began to read the stitches. The sweater she
search of clues, the textual codes inscribed in the
was wearing had been industrially fabricated and the
textile matter would disclose their secrets and make
fabric was machine-edged, so that all stitches, when
themselves intelligible to her. There was the repetitive
read out loud, sounded like a repetitive dirge, some sort
refrain of a machine-made pattern, with blue roses and
of monotonous mantra. Pot wit potwit pot wit... she
grey sparrows stylised on dark green satin, reading as
an infinite series of bloom ceep bloom ceep bloom ceep; and
to purposely say. The words – if they could be named so
the bloodcurdling scream red rum ! red rum ! red rum ! red
– were precisely selected and, at most, their readers
rum ! cried out by elementary twin figures embroidered
would lack vocabulary in order for them to express
with red silk on purple velvet. Among them a worn-out
their concept. So then, were the remaining parts of the
wool scarf, recently manufactured, carried the traces
world also to be legible, in one way or another? Maybe
of a riot and uttered a limping sequence of acab ¦ acab ¦
the mama clouds were indeed to be decoded and, in
acab across the silence of its stitches. The samples
turn, they could read us themselves.
presented different degrees of articulation and
*
complexity, but not much inventiveness. Meters and
Fabrice smiled nervously to the archivist and muttered
meters of damask and brocade and lampasso flew under
a fast arrivederci, maybe a bit too quickly. She was
Fabrice’s fingertips that afternoon, but when the night
wondering how much it would take before the archivist
fell, no epiphany had occurred. The quest was far from
would find out she had snatched the unreadable fabric
over.
* After those hours spent frantically searching and reading all pieces of fabric she could get her hands on, Fabrice returned to the archives almost every day for two weeks. None of the material witnesses she had questioned until that point had provided any evidence – not a single clue to disclose her sister’s possible
sample, hidden in the inner pocket of her greatcoat. But
destinies. Then, on a grey Tuesday afternoon, she
there was no time to worry about the archivist.
found it. She was holding a handmade embroidered col-
*
lar of North American origins, and her tired fingers
Fabrice unenthusiastically rang the bell and waited for
were absorbed in reading. After about two arrays of
a mouldy man to open the door. A stuffy smell flooded
tangled fibers, the following wording emerged from the
the hallway, making the man’s apartment and the foul
stitches: my soul must go… sister sister sister light the light.
air it emanated all but inviting. How could her sister
The refrain sounded somehow familiar. In the
admire that mildewed figure in such a great fashion?
numbness cloaking her brain since her sister’s
She would consult him three times a week for spiritual
disappearance, it took Fabrice a moment to recall
guidance and seemed to attribute great powers to the
where she had read such verses before. Finally, the
guy. But all Fabrice could see by looking at the man
enigmatic manuscript found among her sister’s papers
peering out the door was a depressing picture of
materialised in her mind and she recognised Johanna’s
shabbiness and decay. After a circumspect glance, the
transcription. An adrenaline rush shook Fabrice to the
man let her in and led her silently through a dark
bones. What was that piece of cloth doing in the Ratti
narrow corridor, punctuated by closed doors. They
archives? How were Johanna and her sister linked to it?
eventually reached a brownish kitchen table on which
With trembling fingers, she went on reading, trying to
a watery coffee was cooling. There, they began to
decipher the textile sample further. And yet, no matter
discuss. With dry words, Fabrice notified her host of
how concentrated and meticulous she was or how
her sister’s disappearance and the manuscript she had
much she had practiced over those weeks spent buried
found. Then, advisedly, she pulled out the unreadable
in the archives, the purpose seemed impossible to
collar she had snatched from the Fondazione Ratti. The
achieve. The remaining part of the embroidered collar
man, who until then had been listening in silence,
was unreadable.
spoke. His voice was repellent, exacerbating the acrid
*
smell emitted by the surrounding furniture, and the
It was slightly dementing, though a world, or many
name Sigismondo that Fabrice had read above the
worlds, were opening before Fabrice. What amazed her
doorbell came to her mind. All this was of great
the most was that she was not interpreting those
disturbance for Fabrice, whose concentration kept
patterns and wefts in the way a farmer predicts the
drifting, sliding on the ugly shape of the trinkets
very near future weather of some tomorrow, or in the
around, to intermittently come back to Sigismondo’s
way the flight of birds was construed by the ancient
monotonous monologue. “You see,” he was lecturing,
Greeks. The stitches left no choice for one interpreta-
when she refocused after the umpteenth excursion of
tion or another. Their reading was saying something
her mind “by everyday experience, we can observe that
perfectly accurate, and though they might have not
half of humanity must be classed among the clothes
been understood, there was no ambiguity or ambiva-
fetishists. All women, that is, are clothes fetishists”.
lence, and they were intended to mean what they had
What an idiot, she thought, and she was not surprised.
21
“It seems that women have made few contributions to the discoveries and inventions in the history of civilisation,” continued Sigismondo with his conceited, unbearable tone, “there is however one technique which they may have invented: that of plaiting and weaving. If that is so, we should be tempted to guess at the unconscious motive for the achievement. Nature
dared to raise her hand from under the bar. The
herself would seem to have given the model which this
thoughtful barman smiled and opened his eyes wide to
achievement imitates by causing the growth at
signal his availability. Fabrice hesitated, presuming
maturity of the pubic hair that conceals the genitals.
that to ask a question without ordering might have
The step that remained to be taken lay in making the
been rude.
threads adhere to one another, while on the body they
“Is there a person named Brunswick?”
stick into the skin and are only matted together...”
The barman nodded towards the staircase.
Sigismondo kept arguing on and on, until he reached
“Downstairs, blue room”.
the conclusion that sexes and textiles operated by the
Farbice stood from her stool and made a first step in
same structural logic and could be likewise deciphered.
the direction of the stairs.
By the end of the draining lecture, Fabrice had much
“No drink for you?”
psychoanalytic theory to process and an address to
*
check. Wondering how a spiritual guru could lavish
With her expensive drink filled to the top, she
truths like the most petulant scientist, Fabrice made
cat-danced down to the blue room. As she entered, she
her way out of the apartment.
noticed a trouple on a huge pliant bed, curled into a
*
three-human knot, their faces dived into each other’s
Half dark place, at the same time silent and filled with
bodies. The long tongue of the clitolinguist was
clinking soft noises. Most surprising was the mutism of
meticulously searching for meaning in-between lips
the hallway rug Fabrice stepped onto. All it was saying
and foldings of skin, scanning the humid sex deep and deeper, pubic hair tickling her upper lip. Reporting the legible to a woman sitting on an armchair on the
22
bedside and typing on an iPad, the clitolinguist would attempt her own translation of the womanhood she was examining: “a rose has teeth in the mouth of the beast mmmh mh mh mh mmmmh when the tempests kill the earth’s foul peace mmmmh mh”. “Thick was a dim woosh-woosh as if responding to her shoes.
kompakt ¦ thick kompakt ¦ thick kompakt”, would utter
Lustful glances gawked at her as she passed two rows
a phallolinguist operating the analysis of a turgid sex
of open doors aligned irregularly along a wide corridor,
nearby; “IN FALLIMENTO C’E FALLO! AUTONOMIA!
leading to a dim open-space scattered with whispering
AUTOMAZIONE!” would thunder a second clitolinguist,
canopies and murmuring draperies and dominated by
intent on reading the raging sex of an elder from Rome. The woman sitting at the bedside was typing, then waiting, then typing again. Fabrice opted for not interrupting and sipped her Espresso Martini, concentrating on her transparency level. In the meantime, next door, Carolee Schneemann was performing her
a colossal quiet bar. The bar stared momentarily at her. The looks were not malevolent, but did seem to carry some expectations, at least a pale curiosity. On the right side of the bar, a staircase led discretely to the basement. For the moment Fabrice lacked the courage
famous Interior Scroll, pulling a satirical account out
to follow the steps. She glanced at the bottle racks
from her sex and reading it out loud. A small public of
behind the barman, who seemed to respect the
art lovers was watching, feeling charmed and deeply
adaptive time she was needing before inquiring about
involved, yet dramatically missing the point.
what she would wish to drink. Between the vodka and
*
the gin, a disc-shaped sign read CCC-L, ringed by Circle
Peering over her reading glasses, the typing woman
Club of Clito and Phallo-Linguistics. Did Sigismondo really
finally granted an inquisitorial look to Fabrice. The
recommend this place for her search? Finally, she shyly
latter seized the opportunity: “Mrs Brunswick?”
“May I help?” Awkward silence. “Please, take a seat.”
to encapsulate the world in what we (think we) know,
Fabrice sat on a second armchair facing the bed, while
she said to herself, as she reached her apartment. All
the three linguists went on with their business,
seemed regular, but all was extraneous. The city and
ignoring her presence. Mrs Brunswick laid her iPad
the supermarket that she just went in were a set of
down and stared at her interlocutor intensely, with
choices she didn’t make. Nor did anyone. It rather went
pale blue eyes that melted at times with the blue misty
the way it went, periodically permeated by passing
atmosphere of the surroundings. With some difficulty,
fancies that eventually shaped the housing and the
Fabrice searched for the right words to explain the
gardens and people’s habits and the lake shore. She
reason for her visit. How could she tell a complete
was facing a shrinking world, soon to be shaded by
stranger about her quirky capacity to make stitches
occult matter. She took a walk in the woods above the
and weaves legible? How to tell the even quirkier
lake. Her hunch had led her to a dead end. Yet,
encounter she had with Sigismondo, who put Mrs Brun-
something didn’t add up. She looked at her greatcoat’s
swick on Fabrice’s path, persuading her of the analo-
sleeve. She needed to be comforted by the stitches
gies between the logical structures of fabrics and
sectioning the fabric. They were stating a gladdening
sexes? While these questions were knotting her tongue,
leave the loot, lop the top, leave the loot, lop the top. The
an indistinct noise of gasps and moaning, now and
fabrics, cloths and weaves had been exact, generous
then punctuated by high-pitched screeches, reminded
and at her disposal until then. That piece of cloth still
her that nothing could be surprising to the inhabitants
creased in her inner pocket was the exception. After
of the blue room. And so she began her story.
all, Johanna’s transcription ended in the exact same spot where Fabrice’s reading did, and this was not a
“But there is a fundamental fallacy in such argumenta-
coincidence. The fact that her sister was in possession
tion,” Mrs Brunswick argued, after having scrupulously
of Johanna’s manuscript, in the first place, and that she
deconstructed Sigismondo’s theory, ”you see, we tend
had been visiting the archives of Fondazione Ratti was
to consider linguistic what we can write down, and
not a coincidence either. In the tangle of these threads
non-linguistic everything else, but this division is a
must have rested the key of her sister’s disappearance.
cultural artefact, an arbitrary limitation derived from
Apart from that, no one seemed to be of much help, not
historical evolution. This much is true, and rests at the
as much as the leaves of last autumn merging with the
basis of both sex-reading and textile-reading. However,
dirt she was sinking in at every step. This was but
there is a major difference between reading sexes and
loneliness. Rather, (she tempted to work out what was
reading textiles. Textile, just like text (the etymological
going on) she was merely accompanied by accidentally
link here is no coincidence), is fabricated according to
legible pieces of fabric, in a land made of people
unequivocal codes and responds to a precise set of
making sense of things for them not to fall into despair.
rules. It lends for a reading that is not dubious. The
Where had she to go now? Her sister did go. Mad? As
interpretation of that reading could be, but this
she thought she might herself. Perhaps in Klatsand lay
problem emerges only at a later time.” So far so good,
the answer. And off she went.
Fabrice thought. Mrs Brunswick continued: ”The practice of sex-reading, on the other hand, is grounded on hermeneutics: it is an interpretative technique that
The end
does not contemplate univocal readings, but multiple possibilities. Have you ever heard a pilot tell about clouds? Clitolinguists and phallolinguists work
* The text includes direct and indirect quotes of Ursula Le Guin, David McNeil, Victoria Mitchell and Sigmund Freud.
likewise, as every day they plunge into the matter of their reading. They experience body tissues and hairs and fluids and deliver their own interpretation of the ensemble, they compose their poetry with different levels of mastery and lyricism to the point they could even claim authorship of their readings.” From the soft screams and emphatic moaning coming from the bed nearby, Fabrice could tell Mrs Brunswick had a point.
* Though she deemed Mrs Brunswick’s thinking kind and just, Fabrice still thought it wasn’t entirely right and the elements which her interlocutor had brought up were to confirm what she had already perceived intuitively. She was glad but not satisfied. It is hard not
one gee in fog is an artist-run space committed to exploring the entanglements of art and literature, and to promoting young cultural practitioners engaging with visual arts, writing and research by the means of the arts. one gee in fog includes an exhibition space, a residency, an online platform named two gees in eggs, and a library and publishing platform called three gees in luggage. Founded in 2014 in Chêne-Bourg (Geneva) by Ceel Mogami de Haas, Claire Michel and Lucas Cantori, one gee in fog has been run till today by Lucas and Ceel, together with Bénédicte le Pimpec, Charlotte Magnin and Camilla Paolino. For 2020, the project will be in charge of a new curatorial team, including Varun Kumar, Katia Leonelli and Antoine Schalk.
23 Illustrations: Paulina Granat, 2020
*
Utställningar hösten 2020 12 september - 8 november
WE ARE HERE: Jenny Berntsson Ruben Wätte Jelena Rundqvist
14 november - 3 januari
Peter Hagdahl – En spegling av 1990-talets konstscen 17 oktober 2020 – 1 april 2021 Curatorer Ola Åstrand & Lena Mattsson
Kulturhuset, Borås | boraskonstmuseum.se | fri entré
Örebro konsthall | orebrokonsthall.se | fri entré
Chelsea on a Thursday afternoon in November Anna Ekros
25
Chelsea, Autumn 2019
lunch with another dear friend – who described the clouds under the midnight express (it was ten
In New York City, nothing is ever what it seems to
dollars and everyone was there) between LA and
be. As you’re gazing serenely at the apricot sky
San Francisco in the 80’s – you saunter into good old
gorgeously gleaming above the buildings on 7th
Zwirner at 20th street to find the least expensive
Avenue, a man throws a bucket at someone in front
raw material in the most expensive room and
of you.
no-one is there. The installation by Jason Rhoades,
You look at a sweet little squirrel for just a second
known for his use of everyday objects in gigantic
too long and realise that what it is chewing on is
installations, criticises colonialism, commercialism,
another squirrel’s tail.
tourism, industrialism, or the very same art market
You meet your friend for breakfast. She recently
in which his pieces have found a rather grand space.
married a performer with credit card debt and a
And it is easy to place something in the artwork, the
strange hairdo. You think she needs your help, but
void of chandeliers made out of tourist bric-a-brac
not at all. She’s here to give you a more sophisti-
and neon signs, because at its very core, it consists
cated world view.
of nothing. As you navigate the installation, you feel
Walking west a few blocks from the A train, after
the items creeping closer as if wanting to fill the
Jason Rhoades, ‘Tijuanatanjierchandelier’, David Zwirner Gallery, New York, photo: Anna Ekros
vacant room with whatever meaning you carry inside of you. I flee Zwirner deciding that neon – however supposedly symbolic or critically deployed – may not seduce me to put my signature on anything. ”You need a third voice overseeing the narrator’s voice” messages my New York based editor in late December, saying I seem too innocent and judgmental in my writing. “You have a theory degree from New York, you’re not innocent, I don’t think that’s really you.” – As I am thinking about how to add the quote “Art knows us better than we know ourselves” to the text and what origin those words might have. I decide that the quote won’t be a part of the text but I google the book she’s suggesting I read, ‘The Situation and the Story’, by Vivian Gornick. In Chelsea on that Thursday afternoon, as thick clouds fill up the rectangular space between the industrial buildings in the neighbourhood, I turn left and left again and skip up 10th to 24th. At Lisson a sweet girl greets me at the door. Here Anish Kapoor unravels a stainless steel amusement park in works entitled ‘New Born’ (2019) and ‘Non Object (Sphere)’ (1998–2013.) I can see myself in the surface, from every angle I’m born anew, as the works, consent to be non-objects obediently self-effaced to feature me, evaporate into my
26
reflections. But sacrifice is the trickery of western thought, it’s where Odysseus went wrong, cunning didn’t lead him back in one piece. Even so, if the artworks at Lisson are singing the good old song, they know the words of the hymn of art history by heart. Still, I won’t let them lure me. I will tie my shoes harder, and when a handout asks me to hashtag photographs of myself mirrored by the self-sacrificial, yet acutely durable artworks – to participate in a ritual within the religion in which I am supposed to worship myself in third person, admire a representation of myself devoid of subject and confuse the representation for being me since it in no way is ready to reveal its true self – I will instead compliment the dress of the girl at the entrance, she will look confused, as she doesn’t consider herself worthy, and I will run down 24th back to my friend now having coffee on 6th avenue. Today, Chelsea was a Tivoli, I’ll tell him, nothing in New York is ever what it seems to be. And he will answer – Sweetheart, let me tell you a story... ■
Anna Ekros (born 1988) is a visual artist, writer and art historian specialised in photography. She holds an MFA from International Center of Photography/Bard College and an MA in Critical Theory and the Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Ekros was educated by masters such as Anders Petersen, Halil Koyutürk and later Nan Goldin. She has an interest in truth in relation to imagery, curious of the moments where the edges of the medium become visible.
Anish Kapoor, ‘Non object (Sphere)’, Lisson Gallery, 24th Street New York, photo: Shura Skaya
CECILIA EDEFALK HEMKOMSTEN 28 MARS — 17 JANUARI 2021
NORRKÖPINGS KONSTMUSEUM
N
DEL AV VARB EN
VARBERGS KON ST H AL L
HA NST LL • KO
GS KOMMU ER
Cecilia Edefalk, En annan rörelse, 1990. Foto Per Myrehed.
ARBERG •V S
011-15 26 00 konstmuseet@norrkoping.se www.norrkopingskonstmuseum.se
Kolonin / The Colony The mud, the loneliness and the landscape Yvonne Ihmels
When artists move into an area one calls it the first
with somebody or something). Their recent work is
step of gentrification – but what is it called when
the performance ‘Förmödrarna’ (The Foremothers)
artists leave the cities and move to the countryside?
about historical and contemporary women in
Nothing new, not at least if you look at the begin-
Arvika. Together with artist Lin de Mol from
ning of the 20th century, but here is a true story
Holland they are all part of Kolonin (The Colony).
about artists who never intended to leave the city for the countryside. They just skipped the step with
The name Kolonin hints at the early 20th century
expensive rents, bad locations and tiny studios.
Rackstad group with celebrities such as Maja Fjaestad and Christian Ericsson, explains Helene
On the table in front of us some coffee mugs and
Karlsson. They moved to the area around lake
croissants. Around the table are Sara Falkstad,
Racken in the 1900s and the presence of these
Helene Karlsson and Anna Ehnsiö. Anna Ehnsiö, is
artists created a new cultural climate. A lot of
an actress, theatre director and founder of TOTAL
craftsmen also started to move in, including
TEATERN. Sara Falkstad is a poet and Helene
carpenters, textile and crochet makers. The famous
Karlsson is an artist; together they work with the
Rackstadmuseet shows furniture and paintings
performance/art group OTALT (literally ’Unspoken’,
from these days and as the jewel in the crown there
but also to have a quarrel, something not settled
is the music college in Ingesund. A heavy heritage,
Lin de Mol, ‘The Spirit of the Place’, piezography, framed, 105 x 70 cm, 2016
Lin de Mol, ‘Day and Night’, performance of sowing over a weather resistant winter coat with reindeer lichen during a 7-day and night performance in the Fönstergalleriet in Arvika, Värmland, 2016
but it does not seem to bother anyone too much.
medicinal and healing properties. Lin de Mol made a
Kolonin is a community and an artist driven space
seven day public performance in the window
in Arvika, Sweden, located in what used to be a
gallery, sculpting ‘The Healing Coat’. It was personal
commercial shopping area. It is a studio space for
therapy and a monument to pain, she tells. Now the
six artists and a meeting place for exhibitions,
coat rests in the forest. She says:
music, theater, poetry and important conversations. Large shop-windows open towards the street,
“As an artist, when you leave the city, you also
except for one – the window gallery – where
leave the contemporary context of art. But I never
products for sale used to be displayed, and now
thought about that when we left. I just wanted to
there are art exhibitions 24/7 all year around.
be closer to what I considered to be my source,
Artists like Åsa Elzén, who based her research on
which is nature. But maybe there was also
early feminist Fogelstad group and its eco-feminist
something in me that wanted to get away from the
and ecological legacy, have shown in the window
contemporary art circus. I longed for a Iife in
gallery. At the opening in November 2019, Åsa Elzén
harmony with nature and [for] my works to be
met Cecilia Berntsson, a local farmer who is
flowing directly from that imagined life.”
working organically out of love for ‘mother earth’ in a conversation on Åsa Elzén’s ‘Transcript of a
Before settling down in Värmland, just outside
fallow’ – a reproduction of the carpet ‘En Träda’ (A
Arvika, Lin de Mol had been travelling for ten years
Fallow) commissioned by suffragette Elisabeth
to remote areas to make her works. She then
Tamm at Fogelstad, an early feminist Group in
processed them in the studio at home in Amster-
Sweden, and designed and woven by Maja Fjaestad
dam before exhibiting the final works in contempo-
and Amelie Fjaestad of the Rackstad group. The
rary art spaces in Amsterdam, Germany and Italy.
carpet’s return to Arvika and the contemporary
At some point she realised that all that travelling for
relevance of the discussion about the land and the
art was actually a way of searching for another
forest appealed to the local audiences who showed
place on earth to live, for another type of life. After
up in great numbers. On the evening of the artist
she moved with her family, daughter and husband,
talk, Kolonin organised a concert with Indonesian
to the countryside, in her case to another country,
musician Rully Shabara, chronicling the history of
her relationship to her work has intensified. All
language in a unique voice performance. All this in
doubts she might have had before in the urban
a local pub, supported by two hardcore punk bands.
context about the meaning of making art vanished. Instead it has become a bare necessity, and a means
Another piece that still lingers with me is Lin de
of personal survival.
Mol’s ‘The Healing Coat’. A copy of her old winter coat, made of weather resistant material, and
Anna Ehnsiö comes from Uppsala and had a
over-sewn with reindeer moss – a lichen that holds
brilliant career in Stockholm when she suddenly felt
tired of exposing her soul in her castings. Today she
“These stories of these women have always been
is touring all over Sweden. The blend of various art
there, but no one cared about them until we came
forms and collaborations that take place at Kolonin
along,” says Helene. “One example is the wife of the
is inspiring. Helene has made the scenography for
artist Fritz Lindström, one of the members of the
two of her plays, ‘Agnes’, about Agnes von Krusen-
famous Rackstadkolonin (Rackengruppen). Her
stjerna, still on tour, and ‘Tjej typ kille typ’ (Girl
name was Anna Wretman Lindström but when you
type, Boy type), a play that as many as 25 000 pupils
read about Fritz at Rackstadmuseet, it says that he
have seen. Together with Helene and Sara, Anna
had a wife who was sickly and died young. Nowhere
also directed and performed in ‘Förmödrarna’. For
it says that she started the Arvika branch of the
two years they collected historical material about
association for women’s suffrage!”
women of Arvika, reading books, digging deep into the archives, and also interviewing current
“Anna Wretman Lindström also inherited some
residents of their town. Helene created thirty
money that made it possible for her to go to Paris,
unique banners and flags inspired by the textile
where she met Fritz,” Sara fills in.
tradition of the suffrage movement while Anna and Sara worked on the script. In the summer of 2018
Wretman Lindström was also part in founding the
the project was turned into three performances
first kindergarten in Arvika and worked as a teacher
based around fourteen monologues about historical
to support the family and her artist husband. There
and contemporary women of Arvika. They involved
is a portrait with her in the museum, but she was
approximately thirty extras and a large audience
not even mentioned by name. The work by OTALT
moving as a crowd through central Arvika. The
resulted in Anna Wretman Lindström’s portrait now
banners are now on loan to the new permanent
having the flag for women’s suffrage hanging next
history exhibition of Värmlands museum, but when
to it!
Foremothers carrying ‘Standards’ by Helene Karlsson, mixed media (textile, screen print, paint, embroidery), 100 x 150 cm, photo: HP Skoglund
31
needed they can be brought out from the museum,
Rackstamuseet and the artist group is a heavy
as when OTALT performs a version of Förmödrarna
heritage but there must be room for contemporary
at 13festivalen in Göteborg in 2020.
art and culture in a small city like Arvika, not only art that was created a hundred years ago, says
Helene. What they also noticed during their work
has to have a local connection and the critics at the
with this performance was that the visibility of
larger newspapers seem more interesting to go to
women shifted from time to time. Somehow they
New York than to Arvika, Anna points out. “And in
appeared in history books between 1930 and 1940
Värmland there are not that many cultural
and then they disappeared again.
journalists with summerhouses if you compare with Österlen in the south of Sweden. “
At Kolonin dogs and children are welcome, Sara writes later in an email. When she was on mater-
She remembers once when Leif Zern, the theater
nity leave with her daughter she often visited
critic, was writing in Dagens Nyheter about one of
Kolonin and sometimes people just entered because
her plays she was so happy that she wept. “You
they saw that someone was sitting inside ‘drawing’.
simply have to forget about your vanity working here. I know that what I am doing is good because of
“We want to be local without lowering our expecta-
the response from the audience, even if it does not
tions on art and culture and that goes for the audience
show in media.”
as well. People are not stupid just because they are not used to contemporary art. Kolonin is a place where you
For Lin de Mol the making of art ‘in the middle of
have to make your own fun and we certainly have
nowhere’ has been quite an experience so far. She
done that. And it has led to cooperation with a lot of
says:
people living in and around Arvika. To be a fish in a small pond can make you a bigger fish.”
”I regard myself now as having an entirely different responsibility as an artist. I am aware that I make
32
In other words, they are digging where they are
art in a place where no one is asking for it and in
standing, and the national interest and support that
doing so I feel I have to make an extra effort to
their project has evoked only proves that some
make it clear what it is I do. But do it in such a way
things do not have to lose their relevance because
that everyone, including an audience not familiar
they are outside of a bigger city. “Värmland is like a
with contemporary art can get something out of it,
middle sized city,” says Anna. “That is how I try to
and this without adjusting the art itself. To be at the
explain to my friends in Stockholm and other cities
top within the artworld in Amsterdam means that
what it is like to live here.” All her friends and
you practically have to live in your studio. To
colleagues are contemporary artists or authors,
produce continuously and always interact with the
filmmakers and theater people – there is a lot of
market.”
cooperation over the cultural borders, but you have to organise it yourself. “But here at Kolonin it is The ‘Living room’ at Kolonin. From left to right Kristine Thenman, Sara Falkstad, Helene Karlsson and Anna Ehnsiö and the editorial dog, photo: Yvonne Ihmels Window display at Kolonin, the Thinkspace in Arvika, Värmland, photo: Helene Karlsson
quite lively and being bored also can be a trigger to create,” adds Anna. She kind of belongs to the generation of the ‘green revolution’, even if she was never interested in growing vegetables, she says with a wry smile. She wanted to move to Värmland because she found it so beautiful there, but many of her colleagues got almost angry with her for leaving and thought she was insane to move from Stockholm when she was just a small step away from a big breakthrough.
“At a party recently in Stockholm, after more than twenty years in Värmland, I was asked when am I going to move back? Your children must be grown now? When are you going to come back?” She sometimes misses being part of a larger community but she knew from the very beginning that if she was going to work within art and theater it was going to be on her own terms. The lack of good criticism in local newspapers is a problem. If and when the newspapers write about something it
central places in Arvika. The project is a collaboration with commercial spaces in the area.
Exhibitions at Kolonin during 2020 30 Nov–18 Jan Åsa Elzen www.asaelzen.com
Helene actually trained as an art teacher, since she always liked to draw and paint, and no one in her family had ever come up with the idea of being an artist. “But during my education at Konstfack in Stockholm I realised I am an artist.” In her practice she likes to involve the audience. She is mainly
1 Feb–29 Feb Liv Midbøe www.livmidboe.com
interested in the field between fiction and documentary where art tends to be more of a sociological act, a collaboration between the artist and the viewers. She often goes from painting to installations to
7 March–18 April Birgitta Burling www.birgittaburling.se 20 April–6 Jun Helene Karlsson www.helenekarlsson.se
performance motivated by her curiosity and interest in dialogue with others. Another project initiated by Kolonin is ‘Skallgång’: an approximate translation would be ‘search party’. Kolonin’s search is an attempt to map contemporary artists in Värmland and to build a platform and a
13 Jun–22 Aug Janove Ekstedt/Robin Andersson
place for networking. “Our ‘search party’ is a way to create contact, confidence, and collaboration between artists and self-organised platforms for
14 Nov–13 Dec Arvika Ljus
contemporary art in the countryside,” says Sara. “All of us who work outside institutions have the same problem to balance our work within art and earning a wage, between freedom and security and
33
between your own practice and organising events The only problem she sees with her new context is
and exhibitions. How to support each other and
that there are very few platforms for contemporary
maintain our freedom. We hope that building
art. She is lucky to have her international gallery in
networks can lead to more cooperation and
Amsterdam and to have Kolonin, a place to work
support instead of continuing like isolated islands
and meet, an exhibition space to invite artists and
of art in the middle of a forest. At the end of the
build a growing network that eventually all of us
day it could lead to Värmland as a more attractive
can benefit from. ”We are building bridges and
place for new artists to live and work.” ■
lowering thresholds and I actually do think people in Arvika like Kolonin. When the Butoh artist SU-EN came to Kolonin she had the largest audience of her whole tour.” “We try to inspire and challenge at the same time,” Helen fills in. “No one begs you to become an artist but Kolonin gives me the opportu-
Yvonne Ihmels is a cultural journalist and chief editor at Cora, a feminist magazine about women in art and culture. Ihmels produces documentaries for the Swedish Radio and, amongst many highly acclaimed radio productions, she has represented Sweden in Prix Italia.
nity to continue working in my own way. I need the context to be able to continue.” ‘Var inte rädd för mörkret’ (Don’t be afraid of the dark) is Lin de Mol’s latest project. In autumn 2020 she will curate Arvika Ljus! (Arvika Light!) for the very first time: a biennale with contemporary light installations in various places in Arvika. The title refers to a poem by Erik Blomberg which addresses another way to handle darkness and presents another way to see it – as a place where light is born. To be a friend of the darkness instead of being afraid. For the project Lin de Mol has chosen five
Lin de Mol, ‘The Healing Coat’, piezography, framed, 150 x 100 cm, 2018
HASSAN SHARIF I AM THE SINGLE WORK ARTIST 19.9 –10.1 fri entré MALMÖ KONSTHALL konsthall.malmo.se +46 40 34 60 00 Hassan Sharif, Jumping No. 1, 1983. Fotodokumentation av performance i Dubai, Courtesy Hassan Sharif Estate; Alexander Gray Associates, New York; gb agency, Paris; Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde, Dubai.
Pontus Raud, ‘In search of identity’, mixed media, 21.9 x 19.9 cm, 2020
A year on … and not much wiser Stuart Mayes
It is 11 January 2020 and I check the Arts Council
It is two and a half months since the 31 October
England (ACE) website to see what it says about
date passed, 30 days since the general election in
Britain leaving the EU:
which Boris Johnson’s Conservative (Tory) Party won a substantial majority, and 20 days until 31 January
The United Kingdom is due to withdraw from the
– the new date when the United Kingdom is due to
European Union on the 31 October. If a deal is
withdraw from the European Union. Johnson’s deal
agreed, this will be followed by a transition
is almost certainly likely to be agreed by both
period based on the precise details of the deal
houses of the British parliament and the EU. A wave
agreed.
of anxiety rushes over me when I read that ACE
It is important for cultural organisations to assess
“will continue to update this guide as further
the risks and opportunities that Brexit poses, so
information becomes available.”2 Can it be right that
that they can prepare as well as possible.
there is nothing to update, no new information? If
1
nothing else, the date of withdrawal could and 1 Brexit Information: EU Exit Guide, Arts Council England. Accessed at https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/brexit-guidance/eu-exitguide, 11 January 2020.
2 ibid
the UK, both British and resident Europeans, are ’remainers’. From reading an interview AFB did with The New European I learned that they see leaving the EU (particularly its regulations and funding streams) as a great opportunity for the UK to re-assess and democratise cultural support and financial assistance. On the one hand I admire the optimism and wholeheartedly wish that I could share their enthusiasm, and on the other, I wonder if they are strategically positioning themselves for key roles within the government’s future cultural departments. I know that at least one of the founding members is a very good and ambitious administrator. As AFB acknowledge, there are few in the arts who support Brexit, and they are certainly intelligent enough to know that Johnson’s appointed government will reflect his agenda. AFB would be an obvious place to look for new cultural advisors and recruits. But my mind is still full of questions regarding how individual artists are feeling and I realise that my own surprise, shock and disappointment at the 2016 referendum result is playing a large part in my attempt at figuring this out. The personal is the political. Pontus Raud, ‘A new era (Who to blame now?)’, engraving and gouache, 24.7 x 22 cm, 2020
I am now both a British and Swedish citizen. In 2011 I made the decision to move to Sweden as life here suits me better than in the UK and I thought it is not should have been updated. How do I interpret this
such a big thing to move to another European
seriously out-dated information from the UK’s
country – which it was not really. Of course there
government funded body who “were set up in 1946,
are significant differences between Britain and
by Royal Charter, to champion and develop art and
Sweden, and I am still learning them and adapting
culture across the country … governed by an
to them. Yet Britain’s decision to leave the EU is
Executive Board and National and Area Councils.”3 I
adding new layers of complexity to what has been a
email them via their ’contact us’ form and ask why
relatively easy situation for me.
the information on their site is incorrect. I have always been someone who plans ahead; this The ACE guidance and advice regarding prepara-
is often a good and positive trait. Now with so much
tions for Britain exiting the EU is aimed at large
uncertainty it is causing me frustration and anxiety.
cultural institutions, especially those in receipt of
If Boris Johnson’s timetable is adhered to Britain will
EU funding. It also directs readers to the govern-
enter a transition period on 31 January ending on 31
ment’s advice for businesses and organisations in
December 2020. At which point things will be
the (now highly unlikely) case of a ’no-deal exit’.
different – we just do not know exactly how different, that is what will be negotiated over the
I wonder where to find advice and guidance for
intervening eleven months. There are aspects of my
individual artists and artist-run initiatives.
artistic practice that will inevitably be affected by Britain leaving the EU: study/research trips to the
An internet search with keywords ’artists’ and
UK and its institutions, buying materials and
’brexit’ brings up ’Artists for Brexit’. I am immedi-
services from UK based suppliers, exhibiting in the
ately intrigued – all of the artists whom I know in
UK, and working in the UK.
3 Our Organisation, Arts Council England. Available at https:// www.artscouncil.org.uk/about-us/our-organisation-0, visited 11 January 2020.
Swedish regulations for self-employment are weighted in favour of doing business with other EU lands. This is particularly true for individuals and businesses with a small turnover. Trading with non-EU businesses requires the additional cost of submitting quarterly tax and income accounts signed off by an accredited accountant (rather than an annual declaration that I submit myself). This would put me in debt as an accountant’s fees for such work are greater than my annual profit! At the moment and until 31 December I can claim UK exhibition entrance fees as a business expense in my annual tax/income declaration. This will not be possible once Britain leaves the EU and becomes a ’third country’. For the same reason I will have to stop using UK suppliers. My most recent exhibitions in the UK were installations made on-site with materials bought locally, again, this will no longer be possible so it makes showing the UK far less attractive. When I moved from Britain to Sweden I imagined that I would continue to work in both countries; the reality has been that I am doing more and more in Sweden while maintaining good connections with the UK. The likely outcomes of Brexit make it harder to see how I can keep these connections due not least to the financial implications. For over thirteen years I have written an artist’s blog on a-n.co.uk – the Artists’ Newsletter website. This has been an important way for me to have contact and develop professional friendships with artists in the UK as well as keeping me updated with the UK art scene. Next year I will have to decide if I continue with the a-n subscription privately as a way of avoiding it becoming a service purchased from a third land, and incurring accountant’s fees. It is these small but important things that make me aware of how independent and low income artists are potentially more vulnerable to post-Brexit changes than major arts institutions and established international artists. If I am less likely to exhibit in the UK I wonder how many UK artists will be less likely to show in Europe. I wonder if it will be viable for one of my former London studio colleagues to show with his commercial gallery in Germany after 2020. I am already thinking that I should be looking for opportunities in other European countries to avoid the hassle, inconvenience and expense of showing or working in a non-European Britain.
Pontus Raud, ‘New fishing policy’, mixed media, 11 x 20.3 cm, 2020
Beyond the specifics of artists working across EU
import and export duties will be implemented.
and non-EU borders, a simple and relatively modest
Roberto is resigned to Brexit happening and just
increase in air, train, and coach fares between
wants it done so things can get going again.
Britain and the EU could push visits and exchanges
Tine Bech has applied for settled status in the UK
out of reach of artists who support and subsidise
though wonders if she might return to Denmark. It
their practice from other paid employment. With
depends on how things unfold and what kind of
the UK’s potential divergence from European
country post-Brexit Britain becomes – the national-
employment legislation looking likely, those
ism and populism of the right-wing government
working in the ’gig economy’ and low paid sectors
concern her.
seem set to suffer harsher working conditions and
Ken Taylor and Julia Manheim continue to initiate
even lower incomes. Maintaining an artistic
and provoke discussion through m2 gallery’s
practice could easily become the preserve of the
programme of shows and events.
wealthy or those fortunate few who secure financial Last but not least I wonder how easy it will be for
support.
British artists and initiatives to participate in the This time last year I wrote about the concerns of
future editions of Supermarket – Stockholm
artist friends working in different sectors of the
Independent Art Fair. ■
UK-based art scene. One year on and we are none the wiser … The large touring exhibition that Michael Petry and Roberto Ekholm have planned is still on ice. Its three year journey around European cities cannot be secured until more is known about how new
38
Pontus Raud, ‘Into the unknown’, mixed media, 9.8 x 10 cm, 2020
Stuart Mayes is a visual artist living and working in Enköping, Sweden. He is actively engaged in several arts organisations in Uppland as well as running the artists’ initiative Glitter Ball showroom & projects.
1,1 www.1-1.digital art/music platform 2015
Basel
KunstKiosk Baar www.kunstkiosk-baar.ch exhibition space 2012
Baar
Museum1 www.museum1.ch exhibition space 2015
_957 Art Magazine www.957.ch independent art magazine 2012
Adligenswil
Kunstraum Aarau www.kunstraumaarau.ch exhibition space 1990
Aarau
City
Name of Initiative Website Description Year of Founding
Jasmin Glaab
Adapter www.kunstadapter.ch/de/ueber-uns/ unterstuetzen/ mobile exhibition space 2011
The Swiss Artist-Run Scene 2020
The Swiss artist-run scene 2020 Jasmin Glaab
A Roland for an Oliver www.arolandforanoliver.ch map of Basel's artist-run spaces 2011 Artachment www.artachment.com exhibition space 2007 Artstübli www.artstuebli.ch exhibition space 2011 Ausstellungsraum Klingental www.ausstellungsraum.ch exhibition space 1974 BBLACKBOXX / SURE TU www.facebook.com/AnDerLichtung cafe/exhibition space 2010 BelleVue – Ort für Fotografie www.bellevue-fotografie.ch exhibition space for photography 2012 Cargobar www.cargobar.ch bar/exhibition space 1997
Swiss artists – a stereotype First of all I want to break the stereotype about Swiss artists. If I meet artists from other countries I am usually estimated to be a ‘rich’ artist because I am a ‘Swiss’ artist. It is true that in Switzerland the wages are higher than in a lot of other countries – but at the same time the living costs are accordingly high. From the outside it might look like everybody is rich, but if you work and live in the country then the situation is rather different. Most of the Swiss artists I know live with about half of the income of someone who is doing a regular job. Swiss artists usually do part time jobs to maintain their existence, they work as stage hands, bar staff or in a call center – like I did for years. To maintain your life but still save some time to work at your studio you need to develop a whole range of strategies and learn to live with relatively very little money. As the cost of everything is higher it is easier for Swiss artists to travel abroad – that is true! – but the time you spend abroad is limited as you will still have to pay the high ongoing costs at home for your flat or studio (you will not give that up because it is very hard to find affordable living and working space), maybe your phone or internet subscription and of course the expensive legally required health insurance (number one reason for the Swiss to be in debt). That means that after some weeks of traveling you are forced to go back home to work in your money job. The reason why I find it important to explain these details is my understanding of artist-run practice as a political practice. In contrast to the institutional and 22
Der Tank www.der-tank.institut-kunst.ch exhibition space 2015 deuxpiece www.deuxpiece.com nomadic exhibition project 2014 dock www.dock-basel.ch archive/exhibition space 1998 Dr. Kuckucks Labrador www.drkuckuckslabrador.ch nomadic curatorial project 2012 FABRIKculture www.fabrikculture.net exhibition space 2003 FAQ www.faqgalerie.ch exhibition space 2016 filter4culture affairs www.iwbfilter4.ch exhibition space 2006 hardspace www.hardhard.space exhibition space 2018 Hebel_121 www.hebel121.org exhibition space 1998 >>
39
SUMME www.summe.xyz festival of artist-run spaces 2015
SALTS www.salts.ch exhibition space 2014
Projektraum M54 www.visarte-basel.ch exhibition space 2000
Pleasure Zone www.facebook.com/pzartspace/57539172398 exhibition space 2019
Pataphysisches Institut Basel www.pataphysical.net exhibition space 2013
palazzina www.palazzina.ch exhibition space 2019
lotsremak www.lotsremark.net exhibition space 2012
kunsthallekleinbasel www.kunsthallekleinbasel.com exhibition space 2014
Kaskadenkondensator www.kasko.ch exhibition space 1994
invitro www.niel-thaler.com exhibition space 2001
commercial art world, which is oriented towards the success of individual positions and particular careers, I understand artist-run practice as a practice of openly sharing knowledge and experience. It is about revealing personal networks, representing and being represented by an entire scene. It is not oriented towards successful or well-trained artists but offers a platform for side issues or exceptional phenomena in the field of fine arts and is characterised by flat hierarchies. It is about constantly being able to convey and reflect on the actual living and working conditions of its actors and their environment.
Historical approach and how to survive Switzerland has 8.5 million inhabitants and there are currently nearly two hundred independent art spaces, locally so-called ‘off-spaces’ that serve as platforms for experimentation and are characteristically non-profit initiatives. The models that operators of independent art spaces developed in order to 40
maintain them are different. Usually the first step is to find a space which you can use for free or where you pay a very low rent, which means mostly interim usage. Some decide to apply for private or public funds that might support some of your expenses. The funds are mostly project-related, which means you are constantly making applications. Other operators choose to cooperate with companies to get material sponsorship or interim usage. The model I tried out was to use my own two-room studio flat as an exhibition space. In
Exhibition view of the annual show ‘Catch of the year’ at Dienstgebäude Art Space in Zurich, 2019, photo: Andreas Marti 23
Connected Space www.connected-space.ch festival/network 2019
CO-Labor www.facebook.com/colabor.bern exhibition space 2013
Ballostar Mobile www.ballostar-mobile.com exhibition space 2018
Affspace www.affspace.ch space for architecture 2016
Wurm www.flatterschafft.ch exhibition space 2019
Weltraum www.weltraum.me exhibition space 2015
White Frame www.whiteframe.art nomadic exhibition project 2011
Gepard 14 www.gepard14.ch exhibition space 2008
Exhibition poster, Ausstellungsraum Klingental, 1974
Voltage www.voltage-basel.com exhibition space 2017
Villa Renata www.villa-renata.ch exhibition space 2011
The Kitchen Aufderhöhe www.aufderhoehe.com exhibition space 2013
Bern
Galerie 3000 www.galerie3000.ch exhibition space 2013
Grand Palais www.grandpalais.ch exhibition space 2008 Kollektiv Bern www.connected-space.ch network 2012 Kunstraum Milieu http://www.milieu-digital.com exhibition space 2007 Lehrerzimmer www.lehrerzimmer.be bar/exhibition space 2011
any case, the central strategy is to keep costs low in order to survive for more than a few years – as is probably similar everywhere, most artist-run spaces in Switzerland only survive a few years. Generally one can say that independent art spaces in Switzerland are not a recent but rather a long if unnoticed phenomenon. I would describe the DADA house in Zurich as the oldest independent space in Switzerland. The birthplace of DADAism it was founded in 1916 as an artists’ pub with all-evening events. The place today called Cabaret Voltaire has the status of an institution because the minimum subsistence level is covered, which means that the rent and some budget for its management and team is provided by the City of Zurich.1 But as with many small institutions in Switzerland (mostly the ones called Kunsthalle) there is hardly any budget to pay artist fees. Let’s come back to the artist-run spaces. In Basel the artist-run space Ausstellungsraum Klingental, founded in 1974, is officially estimated to be the oldest artist-run space in Switzerland.2 The project is led by artists, curators and educators still today. Since then a number of artist-run initiatives slowly emerged, Hebel_121 in Basel (since 1998) or Local–Int in Biel (since 2006) are among the oldest survivors.3 As a consequence of the increasing number of initiatives since the early 2000s,
Marks Blond Project R.f.z.K www.marksblond.com nomadic curatorial project 2004 offoff www.offoff.ch network of artist-run spaces PROGR www.progr.ch culture center/studios 2004 Rast www.rast.be exhibition space 2013 Sattelkammer Bern www.sattelkammer.be exhibition space 2013 Schwobhaus www.schwobhaus.ch exhibition space 2015 SUBSTRAT www.substrat-raum.ch exhibition space 2012 transform www.transform.bz exhibition space 2012
Biel
espace libre Visarte Biel/Bienne www.espacelibre.art exhibition space 2000
1 https://www.cabaretvoltaire.ch/ 2 https://www.ausstellungsraum.ch/ 3 www.hebel121.org and https://lokal-int.ch 24
Lokal-int www.lokal-int.ch exhibition space 2006 >>
41
42
Ausstellungsraum Klingental settled down in the former crew kitchen in the veteran barracks in Basel in 1974. The media described the project as ‘contrast Kunsthalle’ of the Basel artists, 1974, photo: Hans Bertolf, National-Zeitung Basel / Nr. 159, 1974 25
WallRiss www.wallriss.ch exhibition space 2013
Fribourg
Shed im Eisenwerk www.neuershed.ch exhibition space 2000
Frauenfeld
RAUM_ein Raum für Kunst www.raum-fuer-kunst.ch exhibition space 2018
akku Kunstplattform www.akku-emmen.ch exhibition space 2010
(ort) Raum für Performance https://ort-e-bruecke.tumblr.com exhibition space for performance 2016
Emmenbrücke
kabinett der visionäre www.kabinettdervisionaere.jimdofree.com exhibition space 2012
Chur
Spazio Lampo https://spaziolampo.tumblr.com exhibition space 2019
Chiasso
Museümli www.museümli.ch exhibition space 2012
Buchs
Galerie J www.galerie-j.info exhibition space 2005
Forde www.forde.ch exhibition space 1994
Espace Quark http://espacequark.ch exhibition space 2014
Espace Kugler www.usinekugler.ch exhibition space 2005
Espace Labo www.espacelabo.net exhibition space 2008
Espace 3353 www.espace3353.ch exhibition space 2018
Embassy of Foreign Artists www.eofa.ch residency space 2012
BODY&SOUL www.bodyandsoul.one exhibition space 2015
BIG – Biennale Interstellaire des espaces d'art de Genève www.bigbiennale.ch festival 2015
Andate.Ritorno www.andataritornolab.ch exhibition space 1981
Geneva
Halle nord www.halle-nord.ch artists' association/exhibition space 2010 HARD HAT www.hard-hat.ch exhibition space 2001 Le Labo www.espacelabo.net exhibition space 2008 Milkshake Agency www.facebook.com/Milkshake-agency-135940526485950 studio/shop window exhibition space 2004
Activists handing over the petition ‘Charta 2016’ at the Federal Palace of Switzerland in Bern, 2013, photo: unknown
one gee in fog www.onegeeinfog.com exhibition space 2014 Piano Nobile www.pianonobile.ch exhibition space 1996 Picto www.espacepicto.ch artists' association/exhibition space 2008
43
Portmanteau Rotary Plate www.portmanteaurotaryplate.space online platform 2013 Ripopée www.ripopee.net artists' collective/independent publisher 2008
there was a need to establish a platform to represent them, so the website offoff.ch was created by members of the independent scene.4 Since then the perception of off-spaces in the Swiss art world slowly increased. For some years now there has been academic research about self-organisation in the arts in Switzerland, for example as a part of the research project Off OffOff Of? (2014–2019) at the University of Applied Arts in Lucerne.5 But the analysis of self-organised and independent art initiatives in Switzerland is still a necessity and the financial situation for the artist-run scene stays constantly uncomfortable. In 2013 Bernese artists submitted the political petition Charta 2016, which created awareness about the questionable funding politics of the Switzerland’s public foundation Pro Helvetia, who might support art spaces 4 https://offoff.ch 5 https://www.hslu.ch/de-ch/hochschule-luzern/forschung/projekte/detail/?pid=1045 26
Rosa Brux www.rosabrux.org exhibition space 2012 Saint-Valentin espace d’arts www.saint-valentin.biz exhibition space 2011 Stargazer www.stargazer.ch exhibition space 1996 TOPIC www.topic.to exhibition space/residency 2015 Urbane Game www.urbangame.ch nomadic exhibition project 2015 Zabriskie Point www.zabriskiepoint.ch exhibition space 2011 ÀDuplex www.aduplex.ch exhibition space 2009 >>
La Rada www.larada.ch exhibition space 2010
Locarno
FWD>>Der mobile Kunstraum www.fwd-forward.net mobile exhibition space 2013
Lenzburg
Urgent Paradise www.urgentparadise.ch exhibition space 2013
standard/deluxe www.standard-deluxe.ch exhibition space 2006
Circuit www.circuit.li exhibition space 2001
Alienze www.alienze.ch exhibition space 2017
Lausanne
Kunstraum Kreuzlingen www.kunstraum-kreuzlingen.ch exhibition space 2010
Kreuzlingen
Gepäckausgabe www.gepaeckausgabe.com exhibition space 2014
Glarus
Activists handing over the petition ‘Charta 2016’ at the Federal Palace of Switzerland in Bern, 2013, photo: unknown
44
with small budgets for material, production costs and travel costs for the artists.6 However, getting paid for your work as an organiser of an artist-run space in Switzerland is practically impossible. As an organiser basically the only remaining strategy is cross-financing your work by doing other jobs.
Swiss art festivals in 2020 This year Kollektiv Bern launched the project Connected Space. From October 2019 to December 2020, the Connected Space project is hosting local art spaces and initiatives in various venues in Bern, the capital of Switzerland. A true relay race of art spaces will take place. Over five seasons, altogether lasting fifteen months, the Bernese move out of their art spaces, inviting 6 http://charta2016.blogspot.com 27
exhibition at various art-alien places in the city of Bern. Behind Connected Space is a loose association of self-organised and nomadic art spaces in the city of Bern that has set itself the goal of bringing art to places that have not yet been used artistically.7 In Geneva in June 2020 the third edition of BIG – Biennale Interstellaire des espaces d’art de Genève will take place. The biennale presents the multiple ways of being that Geneva’s art spaces have chosen outside of a market-oriented relationship to the world. It emphasises the importance of anchoring these spaces within the population and advocates the absolute necessity of cultural sites in the construction of the city of tomorrow. Assuming its position as a unifying meeting, it is more open to young collectives and practices close to living art.8 In August 2020 Kunsthoch Luzern, the day of action by Lucerne based art spaces, will take place. The twelfth joint action day that involves 28 art institutions and independent spaces in and around Lucerne will happen on 29 August 2020. The project, which was initiated in 2008 by a loose collaboration of three art spaces, is now representing over 20 organisations and has established itself as an important meeting event for the public, artists and art mediators in the city of Lucerne and its immediate surroundings.
9
In November 2020 you should visit Basel where the independent art spaces collaborate under the project Summe. Since 2015 the project has occurred once a year as a public exhibition event. During the rest of the year it acts as a networking platform for the independent, non-commercial art and project spaces of the Basel region. Summe presents the multitude and versatility of local art and project spaces as part of the exhibition event. As a networking platform it offers the people behind the projects a continuous exchange and promotes collaboration.10 During the year you can refer to the guide A Roland for an Oliver, which is published annually and leads you through the independent art spaces in Basel.11 If you travel to Zurich you should consider the Zurich Art Space Guide.12 The project which launched in 2014 is a non-profit self-organised association. The
Sonnenstube www.diesonnenstube.ch exhibition space 2013
Lugano
Tat-Ort Bernstrasse https://tatortbernstrasse.tumblr.com exhibition space 2013
sic! www.sic-raum.ch exhibition space 2005
PTTH:// www.ptth.pt exhibition space 2017
o.T. Raum für aktuelle Kunst www.ot-raumfueraktuellekunst.ch exhibition space 1994
M35 www.m35.ch exhibition space 2013
KEINRAUM www.keinraum.ch exhibition space 2016
EINQUARTIER(T) www.einquartiert.wordpress.com exhibition space 2013
B74 Raum für Kunst www.b74-luzern.ch exhibition space 2016
Alpineum Produzentengalerie www.alpineum.com exhibition space 2007
Lucerne
initiatives from other cities to show art in their spaces, while they stage their
Spazio Morel www.spaziomorel.ch exhibition space 2012
Neuchâtel
MÀT espace d'art www.mat-artspace.ch exhibition space 2017 Smallville www.smallville.ch exhibition space 2017
Olten
Kathedrale Olten kathedraleolten.ch exhibition space 2013
Orbe
NomadLab www.nomadlab.ch mobile exhibition space 2018
Porrentruy
EAC (les halles) www.eac-leshalles.ch exhibition space/laboratory 1989
Prilly
Silicon Malley www.siliconmalley.ch exhibition space 2015
Renens
TILT www.espace-tilt.ch exhibition space 2010
Rheinfelden
a-space www.a-spacegallery.com exhibition space 2012
Schaffhausen
Vebikus Kunsthalle www.vebikus.ch exhibition space 2003
Sedrun
7 https://connected-space.ch 8 https://bigbiennale.ch
Stalla Libra www.stalla-libra.ch exhibition space 2011
9 https://www.kunsthoch-luzern.ch 10 https://summe.xyz 11 https://arolandforanoliver.ch/en 12 http://www.artspaceguide.ch
Solothurn 28
Künstlerhaus s11 www.s11.ch exhibition space 1978 >>
45
46 Exhibition view of the annual show ‘Catch of the year’ at Dienstgebäude Art Space in Zurich, 2019, photo: Andreas Marti
29
Le-lieu www.palaisbleu.ch exhibition space/residency 2006
Trogen
SATELLIT www.satellit.space exhibition space 2019
Thun
ThalwilerHofKunst www.thalwilerhofkunst.ch exhibition space 1996
Thalwil
FWD>> www.fwd-forward.net mobile exhibition space 2011
Staufen
Nextex www.nextex.ch exhibition space 2017
neinundaber – raum für kunst und kontroversen www.neinundaber.ch exhibition space 2010
Kollektiv Streunender Hund www.instagram.com/kollektiv_ streunenderhund nomadic curatorial project 2019
St. Gallen
self-organised and artist-run exhibition space projects. The map gives an overview and facilitates investigation of the art scene, and – because artist-run projects are meeting points – strengthens a sense of community. Guest curatorial initiatives and other projects are also listed, to give a larger overview of different creative practices. The distinctions between art spaces and galleries occasionally overlap and categorisation can be problematic. The first aim of the guide is to be inclusive, share information and make the self-organised local art scene more visible. Finally, I want to give you an impression of art which is presented in Swiss spaces by mentioning some examples that I am familiar with. An exhibition I consider to be always worth a visit is Catch of the Year, an extensive group show that takes place every December at Dienstgebäude Art Space in Zurich.13 If you are looking for performances I recommend a visit to Kaskadenkondensator in Basel, a space focusing on performance and time based media since 1994, or check out the website of the Performance Art Network Switzerland PANCH.14 At espace libre Visarte Biel/Bienne you will find site specific installations and interactive projects.15 And if you are interested in research and process oriented contemporary art, academic knowledge production and the incubation of discursive forms get in touch with Corner College.16 As a last statement I want to mention that I find it desirable that the artist-run scene, with its flat hierarchies and non-commercial orientation, should be understood by the mass of professional artists, curators, educators and recipients as a worthy vessel, in which the socially transforming power of art can be lived, experienced and reinvented as a collective moment again and again. ––––––––– Jasmin Glaab (born 1988) is a freelance artist, curator and educator in Basel, Switzerland. Glaab studied Art Education and Curatorial Studies at Zurich University of the Arts, and Fine Arts at the University of Arts Northwestern Switzerland in Basel. She is founding director and curator of the artist-run initiative kunsthallekleinbasel, launched in 2014.
@theoff.space www.attheoff.space exhibition space 2019
9a am stauffacherplatz www.9a-stauffacherplatz.ch exhibition space 2009
6½ www.sechseinhalb.ch exhibition space 2016
Zurich
Z(orten) www.zorten.ch exhibition space/residency 2010
Zorten
oxyd www.oxydart.ch exhibition space 2003
Kunstraum Winterthur www.kunstraumwinterthur.ch exhibition space 2008
Winterthur
Atelier Tramway www.atelier-tramway.ch exhibition space 2015
Villars-sur-Glâne
RATS Collectif www.ratscollectif.ch exhibition space 2010
Vevey
Zurich Art Space Guide has been created with the aim to map the different
ALLDA www.allda.ch exhibition space 2020 Arbenz https://arbenzzuerich.tumblr.com exhibition space 2013 art container project www.artcontainer.ch exhibition space 2016 ART DOCK www.art-dock-zh.ch exhibition space/art collection 2014 BALTSprojects www.baltsprojects.com exhibition space 2014 BINZ39 www.binz39.ch exhibition space 2010 BOX43 www.box43.ch exhibition space 2011 Corner College www.corner-college.com nomadic space 2008 Counter Space www.counterspace.ch exhibition space 2013 Die Diele www.diediele.ch exhibition space 2009 DIENSTGEBÄUDE www.dienstgebaeude.ch exhibition space 2008 Garage www.facebook.com/winkwitholtgarage exhibition space 2019 Hamlet www.hamlet.love exhibition space 2019 innen www.innenzines.com independent publisher 2006 jevouspropose www.jevouspropose.ch exhibition space 2018
13 http://www.dienstgebaeude.ch 14 http://www.kasko.ch/ and https://panch.li 15 https://www.espacelibre.art 16 https://www.corner-college.com 30
47
K3 Project Space www.k3zh.ch exhibition space 2002 >>
48
Kabinett visarte Zürich www.visarte-zuerich.ch exhibition space 2008
Le Foyer www.lefoyer-lefoyer.blogspot.ch exhibition space 2011
Raum für Malerei www.raumfuermalerei.com exhibition space 2017
Kein Museum www.keinmuseum.ch exhibition space 2018
Les Complices www.lescomplices.ch exhibition space 2002
RuhigRaum www.ruhigraum.blogspot.ch exhibition space 2011
Kulturfolger www.kulturfolger.ch exhibition space 2016
LOKAL 14 www.lokal14.ch exhibition space 2014
Saint Luke www.saintluke.ch exhibition space 2019
Kunstklinik www.kunstklinik.ch exhibition space 2012
Longtang www.longtang.life exhibition space 2018
Sihlhalle www.sihlhalle.com exhibition space 2017
Kunstraum luke www.luke-space.ch exhibition space 2016
MATERIAL – Raum für Buchkultur www.materialismus.ch space for books 2017
Starkart www.starkart.org exhibition space 2009
Kunstraum Walcheturm www.walcheturm.ch exhibition space 2000
Mikro www.mikro.ooo exhibition space 2015
TART www.tartart.ch exhibition space 2014
Kupper Modern www.kupper-modern.com exhibition space 2019
nano – Raum für Kunst www.nano-raumfuerkunst.ch exhibition space 2019
VISIBEL off space www.visibel.ch exhibition space 2010
KŌBŌ ART SPACE www.facebook.com/koboartspace exhibition space 2019
Photobastei www.photobastei.ch exhibition space for photography 2014
Window of Fame www.window-of-fame.ch exhibition space 2014
la_cápsula www.lacapsula-zh.com exhibition space 2017
Plymouth Rock www.plymouthrockzurich.com exhibition space 2014
Zurich Art Space Guide www.artspaceguide.ch map of Zurich's artist-run spaces 2014
Last Tango www.lasttango.info exhibition space 2017
R57 www.r57.ch exhibition space 2007
Basel
Rheinfelden
33 Porrentruy Biel Neuchâtel
Olten Solothurn
Winterthur
Frauenfeld
Aarau Zürich 2 Lenzburg 2 48 Staufen Thalwil Emmenbrücke
St. Gallen
3
Buchs
Bern
9
18
Lucerne
2
Glarus
Adligenswil
Fribourg Orbe Lausanne Prilly 4 Renens
26 Geneva
Villars-sur-Glâne
Trogen
3
2
2
Kreuzlingen
Schaffhausen
Chur Thun
Sedrun
Zorten
Vevey
Locarno 2
Lugano
Chiasso
Peter Kinny, ‘Ladders’, installed metal wire objects, ca. 150 x 100 cm, 2019, exhibiting with Konstnärshuset at SUPERLOCAL 2020
Lundahl & Seitl 31/10-29/11 2020
Norrtälje konsthall Galles gränd 7, kultur.norrtalje.se
HITTA KONSTVERKEN Ladda ner appen Upptäck konsten i App Store eller Google Play
22–25 APRIL 2021
www.supermarketartfair.com
I can’t go on, I’ll go on PASAJ Team
This text is written primarily to give the reader an
The state has never been an actor supporting
idea of the contemporary art scene in Turkey. In
contemporary art in Turkey. There are museums
addition, it aims to underline the need for independ-
and fine art galleries supported by the Ministry of
ent art spaces in today’s conditions; not only with
Culture and Tourism, today however there are no
their artistic or cultural significance; but also their
independent cultural and artistic spaces supported
social, economic and political contexts. The
by the state in the field of visual arts. Only munici-
objective is to bring a critical stance to the current
pal centers are funded by local governance. In 2020,
art scene in Turkey, through the experiences of
the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s budget has
51
off-spaces, particularly those of PASAJ, the inde-
decreased by approximately 1.6% compared to the
pendent art space that we have been conducting for
previous year. It takes less than one percent of the
nearly ten years. However, instead of expressing it
total state budget, to be more precise 0,433%,
only in our own discourse, we chose to include other
dedicated not only to culture but also to tourism.
artists’ perspectives in this article. So their voices were added here, and they reinforced our argument
The whole field of culture is left to the private sector
with their statements.
and private money. All this was encouraged by
PASAJ's booth at Supermarket 2015, with background photo of İsmail's shop by Giorgio Caione and Paola Ferrario's photos from ‘Photographer for hire’
globalisation and the free market and it caused rapid growth in the contemporary art market. In light of the privatisation in the 1980s, the contemporary art scene in Turkey gradually became like a private foundation with art institutions owned by banks whose investment will further increase in the 2000s. Kim Johansson and Gustav Lejelind, ‘We are what we remember’, PASAJ Tarlabaşı, 2015
While the concept of what we call ‘art lovers’ actually grows in the general cultural discourse, the privatisation of arts and arts education, the absence of state’s investment for culture and cultural strategy, and lack of audience development led to a certain public disinterest in contemporary art. A vast majority of the population do not visit exhibitions.1 On the other hand, paradoxically, every year in Turkey, almost three thousand university students graduate from arts and culture departments.2 This colourful, smooth and flawless appearance of the art world is perhaps a point of attraction for many.
only one group of artists’ visibility is considered
Yet, the contemporary art scene is full of infrastruc-
important, and the presence of others is not taken
ture problems: artists still have to fight for rights
seriously.
such as fees, copyright protection, and freedom of
52
artistic expression. Working for low or no pay has
The contemporary art market is so pragmatic and
for long been an industry standard for art workers.
prone to instrumentalisation that it uses artists in
And none of this is spoken, disclosed or discussed.
some way, no matter how active or resistant they
Where there is no criticism, only one side calls the
are. Gregory Sholette describes this with the term
tune, and this is how it is for the artistic scene.
‘failed artist’ in his book Dark Matter: Art and Politics in the Age of Enterprise Culture. As the value of Jeff Koons increases, the value of a hundred other artists decreases. “This glut of art and artists is the normal condition of the art market.”3 Will there be exhibitions for a small number of artists, audiences and collectors that the galleries can reach? In a dynamic, vigorous city like Istanbul, will we experience art ignoring or interfering with its questioning attitude, its influence, and place in social transformation? At this point, independent art spaces gain importance in terms of balancing the existing forces in the contemporary art scene. They propose a different alternative to a bank-dependent museum, art institution or commercial gallery. The independent spaces are courageous because they do not have
Paola Ferrario, ‘Photographer for hire’, opening at PASAJ Tarlabaşı, 2014, photo: Paola Ferrario
a lot to lose and they believe in the creative process Except for rare examples, the galleries endeavor to
rather than the connections or fame of the artists.
show the works of the very few artists (as their
These spaces, where anonymous and pluralist
capacity dictates) whom they represent to reach
structures gain value, are different from other
their collectors. On the other hand, when we look at
actors in the art scene with their self-directed
the number of artists in Turkey, we can say that
structures that do not serve any institution, thanks to their flexibility, communication methods, the
1 According to 2006 TUIK reports, only one person per hundred visited museums or art galleries every month. 2 Aylin Seçkin, cultural economist, panel talk on ‘Back to the Future: What Is Contemporary Art?’ at Corpus Gallery
autonomous environment they create, their
3
Duncan, Carol (1984), ‘Who Rules the Art World?’
programmes and aims. The dependencies of
memory of the place and works on the past and
independent art spaces are constructed not on a
future of the room, the historical ‘han’ and the local
necessity or formality, but on a common benefit, as
area.5
state Stine Hebert and Anne Szefer Karlsen in their publication ‘Self-Organised’ (2013). We think these structures can be everywhere and in every medium. Nevertheless, PASAJ puts emphasis on the skill exchange and sharing of experience through participatory art, and go one step further from the state of contemplating or attracting intellectual interaction, stressing the need to open a platform for artistic production and action that we can actually participate in and that would lead us to a common experience. What is this common experience for? Julia Kristeva writes in her 1995 article ‘What Good are Artists Today?’ that we all need a common experience. “I think we all need a new, surprising, painful or pleasant experience and then to understand this
Working hours vary according to each project, each
experience. Is this still possible?” she asks.4 This
move enables new acquaintances and collabora-
egalitarian structure makes it a common experi-
tions. Being open to change is a condition for
ence in which a person without an artistic back-
staying alive in this territory. This rhythm nour-
ground can also be involved in the process.
ishes life with its dynamic structure, but at the
Burak Kabadayı, ‘24 Hours’, PASAJ Tarlabaşı, 2018, photo: Burak Kabadayı
same time, it is very likely to get hurt in the Relocated many times, each time, PASAJ is being
adaptation process. If the wound will not heal, it
reshaped with the surrounding neighborhood in
will keep on bleeding. These alterations affect every
order to grab these moments of surprises that
stage of our lives, and also the cultural and artistic
Kristeva speaks about. Established in a room of
climate.
twenty-seven square meters in the Halep Passage in 2010, the first two and a half years, it realised more
But at the same time, we consider the value of
than fifty exhibitions and talks by local and foreign
memory vital to the experience, especially through
artists. The aim was to make room for every
the fast-changing memories of events and places in
site-specific project. When we moved to Tarlabaşı,
Istanbul and contemporary Turkey: brutally
in this diverse and low income neighborhood, we
gentrified neighborhoods, inaccessible public
were amazed by the use of public space in everyday
spaces, abolished or displaced landmarks. We
life there and the establishment of direct dialogue.
believe that we can recall participatory memory
The Tarlabaşı programme was built on friendship,
practices, social representations of the forgotten or
relationships, and the process of brutal gentrifica-
unknown past through socially engaged art projects
tion and social change in the area. We had quite
produced in situ that invite the local inhabitants to
satisfactory feedback from the neighborhood
share, discuss, collect and learn from the experi-
through our actions made between 2014 and 2018.
ences together.
Based on the idea that ‘contemporary art is for everyone’ we needed to widen-out our audience.
The dominant art scene in Istanbul still has an
Through participatory art projects, the audience
elitist and traditional ‘white-cube’ sense of art
were not simply viewers anymore, they even
where clean, presentable and risk-free spaces and
became participants. It was a real exchange: we
works of art are featured. The environment that we
touched their lives and they touched ours and the
are trying to establish is a bit more nonsterile,
artists’. Today PASAJ continues its projects in Nimet
hybrid, uncertain and process-based. Such high
Han, a historical building in Karaköy with many little rooms, as well as in its surroundings. Here, in a room of sixteen square metres, it focuses on the 4 Kristeva, Julia (1995), What Good are Artists Today?, in Chambert, Christian, ed. Strategies for Survival – Now!, The Swedish Art Critics Association Press
5 Han is an Ottoman Turkish building that combined several functions (a hotel, stable, storage depot or selling point). “Nimet Hani, which was constructed at the beginning of the 20th century, is an ‘Ottoman office han’. In other words, the product of the encounter of a distant descendant of the Turco-Persian caravanserai with the Western-designed office building.” Tarek Daoud, ‘A Thousand Dots and No Line’, 8 November–15 December 2018, PASAJ Karaköy
53
sums are being spoken about in the art market
words: “Think of a gallery; no gallerist; no exhibi-
today, and such an aggressive race is underway that
tion; no audience, no customers, no collectors; no
what we are trying to create can be understood as a
sale anyway. A box room at the bottom of a passage
whim or hobby. But PASAJ is not a utopia, it is a
filled with cheap clothing and haberdashery shops
living, real organisation... Besides, the art as we
has become empty, after a whitewash, it has
understand it is not a concept that has a direct
become a gallery.”6 This is not only our way of
relationship with marketing and sales, anyway.
starting but many independent art spaces share the same experience: Mehmet Dere, the founder of 49A
It is very important to us how we construct our
in İzmir, transforms the tobacco shop inherited
spaces, with whom we share them and how we
from his father. An off-space from Ankara,
express ourselves. PASAJ tries to connect with the
Küçükesat, Torun (‘grandchild‘ in English) used to
local community and care about their sensitivities
be a local ‘kıraathane’, a café full of elders playing
and priorities. It invites artists to build up site-spe-
cards and socialising which is transformed into a
cific projects in communication with its surround-
Torun with the contribution of the next generation.
ings. With its hotel-based artist residency programme in an industrial neighborhood of Istanbul,
Lack of material resources may cause independent
AIR Bayrampaşa, it offers a multi-layered neighbor-
art spaces to be ephemeral. On the one hand, the
hood whose history, architecture and social
dynamism here feeds production, on the other
structure is a research area for artists.
hand, we have to find solutions without stopping
We believe we need to relocate art, to put it in
despite financial difficulties. How long should we
transitory areas, alleys, local restaurants, wheelbar-
continue, should these structures sustain? As the
54
Birgit Auf der Lauer & Caspar Pauli, ‘A Karagöz of Freedom and Dissent’, PASAJ Karaköy, 2018, photo: Caspar Pauli and Birgit auf der Lauer
rows and many other places. Hybrid, transformed,
co-founders of the PASAJ independent art field,
shifted… a table (MASA project), a room (Oda
which has been actively continuing since 2010, we
Project), a local restaurant (PASAJ Tarlabaşı), a
often ask ourselves this question: Why do we still do
website (m-est.org), or a grocery store (49A) can each
this work that requires a lot of effort, time, and
be an independent art space. Ali Artun describes the establishment of PASAJ with the following 6 https://www.e-skop.com/skopbulten/pasajistte-yoklugunvarligi/449
money, with almost no financial return and no
we can stay alone, where we can be ourselves. Profit
visibility, and still do it fondly and willingly?
is never the priority; that is another source of motivation for the artist.”
Temporality is perhaps inherent to these organisations. We aim for continuity of these spaces, for
The project ‘Today’s History’ is an attempt to record
freedom of artistic expression and the practice of
the history of the present with the critical approach
criticism, which we want to establish for all of us.
of the artist – Ekmel Ertan. It is presented with a
We want to continue on our way, but what do artists
multi-disciplinary fiction and is composed of three
55
think about these spaces? Can these venues fulfill
parts, each of which consists of a new installation
their role in an ideal way? How much can these
by the artist. “I probably could not have made this
structures give independence to artists?
exhibition anywhere else since I did not make my career as a professional artist in a classical way. The
To find the answer, we asked these questions to
experimental attitude of this place, which is open
several artists who made projects with PASAJ.
for everything and approaches the artist with
Evrim Kavcar mentions that PASAJ provided a
support and participation, has already made it
“comforting and reassuring” support during the
possible to show this work there. You probably could
project she realised together with artist Elif Öner,
not make an exhibition which you expect the
‘Dictionary of Sensitive Sounds’, where they created
audience to come and see three times in a row, in a
a participatory dictionary and organised a series of
commercial gallery.”
talks called ‘dear reader’ in April–May 2019. “The independent nature of an art space encourages
Hacer Kıroğlu, who carried out ‘Silent Squares’ in
independent thinking. PASAJ provides a denk-raum;
Karaköy with the curatorship of Inez Piso and added
a thinking space or a place to breath, contrary to
the Russian churches of Nimet Han and neighbour-
other spaces that are mainstream. An area where
ing buildings to the project explains: “The building
Seçil Yaylalı, Ekmel Ertan, ‘61 meters of Kahya Bey street’, 2015, as part of ‘We decide how we reside’ project by HKW Berlin
emphasis on ongoing public programming and activities. ‘Spaces of Culture’ provides spaces and resources for the realisation of cultural projects within the visual and performing arts, as well as for discussion, training and development opportunities for local institutions.7 The project covers projects from three cities: Izmir, Diyarbakir and Gaziantep. In addition to the limited funds available, the continuity of these spaces seems to depend on the development of alternative economic models. The fundraising party ‘Çorbada Tuzun Olsun’ (ÇTO) that Hacer Kıroğlu, ‘Silent Squares’ in Karaköy curated by Inez Piso, 2018, PASAJ Karaköy PASAJ team at PASAJ Tarlabaşı, photo: Korhan Karaoysal for ‘Artful Living’ magazine
of PASAJ led me to a place I never thought of, carried
PASAJ has been holding since its first year, provides
me somewhere. The fact that PASAJ has a flexible
us with a small resource in this context. Our
structure that does not produce bureaucracy made
Erasmus+ projects also contribute to the continuity
me think faster. It was a new topic for me and a
of the space. By thinking that we can learn
site-specific project has emerged.”
strategies from different disciplines, we also
Banu Taylan, on the other hand, experienced new
hypothesise the models which they adopt. Apart
discoveries by making improvised music: “I
from this, we develop different types of collabora-
performed and conducted in the ‘Garden Choir’
tions, we can be located in venues given to us by
event in Halep Passage and in PASAJ. Most of the
cooperating with a restaurant owner like İsmail or
participants were shop owners from the passage
an independent architect who has opened his office
where the gallery is located. Throughout the project,
to PASAJ for a while. In the collaboration model we
we used the sounds of the urban garden’s donated
have with Ramada Encore Bayrampaşa; every year
objects, musical instruments and the sounds they
an artist stays in this hotel and conducts a short-
made, sometimes walking around the passage and
term research residence in Bayrampaşa.
playing with sounds by settling in a corner. It was a
56
pleasure to catch the same frequency, to break off
Being flexible and adapting to new conditions is
together.”
challenging but also a must. There is always a
Nicoletta Daldanise, as the curator for Elmas Deniz
struggle but if we move away from the difficulties of
and Özgür Demirci’s exhibition ‘Money Issue’, said:
fighting alone and unite through commons,
“PASAJ was the occasion to share in a wider context
similarities, awareness, and recollections, it
our personal reflections, offering the possibility to
becomes an act of solidarity, and it is worth doing.
touch delicate issues, such as poverty and the
We try to create the best version of PASAJ with our
artist’s status, with a critical input from the public
good sides and shortcomings and set goals for the
too.”
future. We strive for an order in which artists can
Since 2014, there have been two private funds
get the allowances they need and deserve for their production and volunteer supporters can get a payment for their work. Till then, good luck to everyone! ■ The title of this article is taken from Samuel Beckett, ‘The Unnamable’, 1954.
PASAJ is an artist-run initiative that runs a project space used for various purposes in the field of contemporary art. It was founded in 2010 and is located in Beyoğlu, in the heart of Istanbul, Turkey. PASAJ focuses on social context, knowledge and memory of the space in connection with the local community and invites artists to build site-specific projects. It runs A.I.R. Bayrampaşa, a hotel based artist residency in an industrial neighbourhood of Istanbul. PASAJ is run by Seçil Yaylalı, Elif Bursalı, Zeynep Okyay and Giorgio Caione.
covering independent arts. SAHA, a non governmental association founded in 2011, provides support to facilitate the growth and development of independent non-profit art initiatives with an
7 The project was initiated by Goethe-Institut, the Consulate General of Sweden in Istanbul, the Embassy of the Netherlands and Institut français de Turquie; in cooperation with Anadolu Kültür and Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV).
Satellite exhibitions in artist-run initiatives around Stockholm
AllArtNowLab
Candyland
Exhibition: ‘Through Distant Air’
Exhibition: Petra Obre, ‘Ombligo’
Artists: Nisrine Boukhari, Connie Chapel, Katarina Eismann
Opening Thursday 3 September 17–22
Curator: Abir Boukhari
Friday–Sunday 13–18
Thursday–Sunday 13–18 Gotlandsgatan 76, 116 38 Stockholm www.candyland.se | galleri@candyland.se
Älvkarleövägen 6, 115 43 Stockholm (metro Ropsten) www.allartnow.com | boukhari.abir@gmail.com
Petra Obre, ‘El cordón umbilical de mi abuela’, Lambda print, dibond, methyl acrylate, mounted in aluminium, 67 x 110 cm, 2019
For SUPERLOCAL 2020 Candyland features ‘Ombligo’, a solo exhibition by Bogotá/New York City/Berlin-based artist Petra Obre born in 1995 in Bogotá, Colombia. They graduated from Minerva Art Academy in Groningen and completed a two-year residency at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten (State Academy of Fine Arts) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Candyland was founded in 2004 and has since then shown over 170 exhibitions.
Katarina Eismann, ‘Amulet’, giclée print, glass and silver, ø 10 cm, 2018 Connie Chappel, ‘Meta Mask’, sculpture relief/mixed media, 90 x 30 x 14 cm, 2020 Nisrine Boukhari, ‘An Act Without Words’, video, duration 3.40 min, 2019
AllArtNow was established in 2005 as the first independent collective space for contemporary art in Damascus. It became a hub for emerging artistic practices. At the end of 2012, AllArtNow started to act as a nomadic space and in 2019 entered a new phase and established a physical space in Stockholm. Exhibition ‘Through Distant Air’ is a result of an exchange residency between Winnipeg and Sweden where artists Connie Chapel, Nisrine Boukhari and Katarina Eismann research the concepts of nature and breathing.
58
Detroit Stockholm
Flat Octopus
Exhibition: ‘what/what now’
Exhibition: AnnaLeena Prykäri, ‘Harness’
Artists: Shamiran Adam, Emmy Dijkstra, Charlotta Hayes,
Opening Thursday 3 September 17–22
Hinni Huttunen, Henrik Green, Matt Miley, Steph Orozco,
Thursday–Sunday 17–20, Friday performance at 18, Sunday artist talk
Alannah Robins, Jenny Soep, Laura Tynan, Joanne Grüne-Yanoff
at 15
Thursday–Friday 14–19, Saturday–Sunday 12–17 @ SBG18, Swedenborgsgatan 18, 118 48 Stockholm www.flatoctopus.com | flat.octopus@gmail.com
Roslagsgatan 21, 113 55 Stockholm www.detroitstockholm.info | mail@detroitstockholm.info
Joanne Grüne-Yanoff, ‘Cassandra’s Box’, video still AnnaLeena Prykäri, ‘Fix Me?’, plaster, size and form variable, total amount of objects: 180–190, 2019
Detroit Stockholm is an artist-run collective with studios and a gallery based in Stockholm.
AnnaLeena Prykäri, ‘52 Shades Of Shame’, latex sheets, 40 x 36 x 21 cm, 2016
In the exhibition ‘what/what now’, Detroit Stockholm artists explore the role of creativity and imagination to address our current times through video, drawing, textiles, printmaking, sculpture and drawing.
Flat Octopus is an international artist- and curator-run collective in Stockholm, Sweden, started in 2019. Flat Octopus organises exhibitions in different apartments located in Stockholm, as well as external collaborations, projects and workshops locally and internationally. At SUPERLOCAL 2020 Flat Octopus presents the artist AnnaLeena Prykäri (Finland). In her cross-disciplinary practice Prykäri researches the connections between topics of mental illness and BDSM. SBG18 is a creative community and working space facilitating a network that helps drive and inspire fellow creatives with their professional and personal projects.
59
Grafiska Sällskapet
Hjorten
Exhibition: Ulrika Thorén and Jim Axén
Exhibition: ‘I det koboltblå köket står en stekpanna på spisen, täckt
Opening Saturday 5 September 12–16
av ett centimetertjockt lager fett’
Tuesday–Thursday 12–18, Friday–Sunday 12–16
Artists: Sanna Albenius, Niklas Delin, Nikki Fager Myrholm, Sanna Laaban, Tanja Silvestrini, Maria Toll Opening Thursday 3 September 17–20
Hornsgatan 6, 118 20 Stockholm
Friday–Sunday 17–20
www.grafiskasallskapet.se | galleri@grafiskasallskapet.se
@ CRUM Heaven, Högbergsgatan 38, 118 26 Stockholm www.instagram.com/h.jorten | hjortenhjorten@hotmail.com
Sanna Albenius, ‘and everything nice’, plaster and epoxy resin, 25 x 10 cm and 15 x 15 cm, 2020
Hjorten is an artist duo consisting of Maria Toll and Nikki Fager Myrholm who arrange exhibitions and other projects in Stockholm. Earlier this year they organised ‘Open window’ with 72 artists exhibiting from their windows and balconies, and ‘Hjorten skulpturpark’, a one-night-only sculpture park in Hjorthagen. For SUPERLOCAL 2020 they are curating an exhibition revolving around the home, and specifically the kitchen.
Ulrika Thorén, ‘Franz-Leopold’, screen print on enamel, 30 x 40 cm, 2020, photo: Bror Thorén Jim Axén, ‘Film’, oil on canvas, 125 x 100 cm Jim Axén, detail from ‘Film’, giclée print, 39 x 51 cm
We were founded in 1910 to further the interests of print-makers, arrange exhibitions and promote print-making. Today we are 440 members working in diverse styles using all possible print techniques. We have a network of contacts with print-makers, collective workshops and print-makers associations in Sweden and abroad.
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ID:I Galleri
Konstnärshuset
Exhibition: Marjolaine Lombard, ‘Förbundna’
Exhibition with Swedish Artists’ Association 2019 grantees
Opening Thursday 3 September 17–22
Opening Thursday 3 September 17–19
Friday 12–18, Saturday–Sunday 12–16
Friday–Sunday 12–17
Tjärhovsgatan 19, 116 28 Stockholm
Smålandsgatan 7, 111 46 Stockholm
www.idigalleri.org | info@idigalleri.org
www.konstnarshuset.org | info@konstnarshuset.org
Marjolaine Lombard, process image of paintings ‘Förbundna’ (Connected), oil on canvas, 210 x 145 cm, 2020
We are collectively run by twenty-five artists, united by the idea of an experimental, self-organised gallery space. Our programme is intertwined with exhibitions by young artists, international exchanges, as well as performances, video screenings and lectures. Marjolaine Lombard's work begins in a wordless and introspective terrain. A painting that stems from a tactile experience of matter, such as air, skin and undergrowth. In the quest for the paintings to occupy a physical and mental space, a scale is explored that engages the body and space.
Marketta Ivarsdotter, ‘Golden Tower’, mixed media (photo, paper, patina), 95 x 35 cm, 2019
Konstnärshuset is an open forum for art and culture – past, present and future. The Swedish Artists’ Association (SKF) is the main owner of Konstnärshuset – where the association hosts diverse exhibitions, awards grants, and conducts activities for 900 professional members. During SUPERLOCAL 2020 we present the 2019 grantees in the Lounge on the first floor.
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Galleri Nef
Galleri Nos
Exhibition: ‘Threshold’
Exhibition: ‘Mirror Mirror’
Artists: Siri Elfhag, Nadja Ericsson, Viktor Landström, Eva Reichmann,
Artists: Mira Dolk Flodin, Charlotte Hedberg + Hedda Hultman, Vida
Tomas Sjögren
Lavén, Lisa Vipola
Opening Thursday 3 September 17–21
Opening Thursday 3 September 17–21
Friday–Sunday 12–17, Monday–Thursday by appointment
Friday–Sunday 11–16
Rusthållarvägen 95, 128 43 Bagarmossen (metro Bagarmossen)
Kaggeholmsvägen 39, 12260 Enskede (metro Tallkrogen)
www.gallerinef.com | gallerinef@gmail.com
www.gallerinos.com | gallerinos@gmail.com
Tomas Sjögren, ‘A Bug’s Afterlife’ (video still), 3D animation, video recording, audio, 2019 Siri Elfhag, ‘Lady in blue dress’, oil on canvas, 2017 Poster: Vida Lavén
Galleri Nef is a studio and exhibition space. Initiated in 2020, it was founded with the objective of giving shape to diverse practices and providing an accessible diffusion platform to emerging artists.
Galleri Nos is an artist-run studio collective and gallery space in Tallkrogen. The platform was founded in 2016 to exhibit newly graduated art students and to be more accessible than posh commercial galleries. ‘Mirror Mirror’ is inspired by the gallery’s history as the space used to be a day care for dogs. Five artists have been invited to show works that relate to dogs in different ways.
Nef opens for the first time to the public with ‘Threshold’, an exhibition on the verge of something more, introducing the work of Nef’s studio residents Siri Elfhag, Nadja Ericsson, Viktor Landström, Eva Reichmann and Tomas Sjögren.
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Studio 44
Tegen2
Exhibition: ‘Distans’
Exhibition: Nils Claesson, ‘Peering into the Black Box / Kompisar från
Artists: Laetitia Deschamps, Rikard Fåhraeus, Kjell Hansson, Susanne
förr’
Högdahl Holm, Ekaterina Sisfontes, Katarina Warrenstein Deschamps
Opening Thursday 3 September 17–20
Opening Friday 21 August 17–22
Friday–Sunday 13–17
Thursday 12–22, Friday 12–18, Saturday 12–17 Bjurholmsgatan 9B, 116 38 Stockholm www.tegen2.se | tegen2@gmail.com
Tjärhovsgatan 44, 116 28 Stockholm www.studio44-stockholm.com | info@studio44.se
Nils Claesson, ‘Peering into the black box / Kompisar från förr’
Image: Rikard Fåhraeus
‘Peering into the Black Box / Kompisar från förr’ is a five-channel video installation of documentary photography by Nils Claesson with music by Dror Feiler.
Studio 44 is a gallery and an artist-run organisation – characterised by its diversity and openness to different forms of artistic expression. Thirty visual artists together manage the gallery space. At SUPERLOCAL 2020 Studio 44 participates with exhibition ‘Distans’.
Rediscover that roaring start, with its entire social context, that turned you into you – and me into me: political activism, school strikes, demonstrations, the founding of a radical magazine, all the childhood years and ten years of work in Eastern Europe. A journey in time, a cinematic essay, a cure for amnesia.
Keep distance. Stay connected. No trespassing. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Space is the last frontier. It is all in your mind, over matter. Touch me, ohhh, touch me.
TEGEN2 – Seeking the burning/turning point in a multi-field of expressions, techniques and activism since 2006.
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Galleri Toll
SUPERLOCAL Info Point Café, Talks & Performance
Exhibition: Richard Krantz, ‘Four Seasons’ 14 August–6 September
Thursday–Saturday 14–20, Sunday 14–18 Tjärhovsgatan 46, 116 28 Stockholm
Inside Ropsten metro station (exit Hjorthagen)
www.supermarketartfair.com
www.galleritoll.com | galleri.t.ropsten@gmail.com
SUPERLOCAL Info Point is located in Kafé 44, a café and an alternative concert venue in Kapsylen, a former factory built in 1900. Kapsylen has been owned by an association of cultural workers since 1978. It contains workspaces and collectively run businesses, such as recording and rehearsal studios, the artist-run gallery Studio 44, or a preschool cooperative. Galleri Toll, 2020, photo: Maria Toll Richard Krantz, ‘Four Seasons’, 2020
Galleri Toll is an exhibition display in a vitrine in the underground metro station Ropsten in Stockholm. The gallery was launched in 2018 and aims to make young contemporary art accessible to passers-by. Galleri Toll is run and curated by the artist Maria Toll. ‘Four Seasons’ is a site-responsive work created for Galleri Toll. It revolves around ideas of consumerism, ecology, time and loneliness.
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SUPERLOCAL 2020 is organised by Supermarket Art Fair economic association.
3–6 September 2020 SUPERLOCAL Info Point opening hours: Thursday–Saturday 14–20 Sunday 14–18
www.supermarketartfair.com info@supermarketartfair.com
CREATIVE DIRECTORS Alice Máselníková Pontus Raud Andreas Ribbung TALKS & PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME COORDINATOR Franziska Sperling PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING PARTICIPANTS PROGRAMME COORDINATOR Lucie Gottlieb MEETINGS PROGRAMME COORDINATOR Stuart Mayes /Katarina Evasdotter Birath SUPERMARKET FORUM COORDINATOR Lucie Gottlieb, Alice Máselníková PRESS OFFICER Felicia Gränd PRESS ASSISTANT Kasia Syty SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANT Kenneth Pils PHOTOGRAPHY AND EDUCATION COORDINATOR Anna Ekros FLOOR MANAGER AND VOLUNTEERS COORDINATOR Paulina Granat INFORMATION COORDINATOR Sophie Lindberg BOOKKEEPING Jörgen Helte
SUPERLOCAL 2020 was made possible with the cultural support of: Statens kulturråd, www.kulturradet.se Stockholms Kulturförvaltning, www.kultur.stockholm Kulturförvaltningen, Stockholms Läns Landsting, www.kultur.sll.se COOPERATION PARTNERS: Konstfrämjandet, People's Movements for Art Promotion, www.konstframjandet.se Tidskriften Hjärnstorm, www.hjarnstorm.se Konstpool, www.konstpool.se SPONSOR: Pabst Blue Ribbon
GRAPHIC DESIGN Andreas Ribbung GRAPHIC DESIGN, CATALOGUE AND MAGAZINE Katharina Peter ART MAGAZINE EDITOR Alice Máselníková LANGUAGE EDITING AND PROOFREADING Alice Máselníková, Stuart Mayes WEBMASTER John W. Fail AD SALES Nadja Ekman
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to our volunteers, helpers and supporters, without whom the event would not be possible.
Cover images
Katharina Peter and Andreas Ribbung
All rights to the photographs belong to the artists or galleries if nothing else is specified. © Supermarket Art Fair ekonomisk förening 2020
SUPERLOCAL Info Point, Tjärhovsgatan 46 Café and Talks & Performance programme Thursday–Saturday 14–20, Sunday 14–18
Galleri Toll •Inside Ropsten metro station (exit Hjorthagen)
Hjorten •@ CRUM Heaven, Högbergsgatan 38
Tegen2 •Bjurholmsgatan 9B
AllArtNowLab •Älvkarleövägen 6
Flat Octopus •@ SBG18, Swedenborgsgatan 18
Candyland •Gotlandsgatan 76
Detroit Stockholm •Roslagsgatan 21
ID:I Galleri •Tjärhovsgatan 19
Galleri Nos •Kaggeholmsvägen 39
Konstnärshuset •Smålandsgatan 7
Studio 44 •Tjärhovsgatan 44
Galleri Nef •Rusthållarvägen 95
Grafiska Sällskapet •Hornsgatan 6
SUPERLOCAL Info Point •Tjärhovsgatan 46