Press release ULRIKE OTTINGER BILD ARCHIVE January 23 –March 21, 2004 Opening: Thursday, January 22 2004, 7 p.m. Curator: Catherine David From 23 January until 21 March 2004 Witte de With will host a solo presentation of the work of Ulrike Ottinger. The exhibition is a retrospective of Ulrike Ottinger’s photography that highlights its relationship with her film work. Curated by Catherine David in close collaboration with the artist, the exhibition is part of the Witte de With programme in connection with the 33rd International Film Festival Rotterdam. Since her debut film, Laokoon & Sons, in the early 1970s, Ulrike Ottinger (b. Konstanz, 1942) has been a unique and provocative voice in the German cinema. Since then she has made 17 films, ranging from experimental documentaries to full-length feature films characterized by her innovative and expressionistic use of costume, staging, and composition. Recently she finished her latest film Twelve Chairs which was filmed at various locations in the Ukraine. Besides directing films she has worked in theatre and published a number of books. As a photographer Ulrike Ottinger developed an extensive œuvre by continuously capturing reality and fiction in different forms. Her work consists of registrations of the world around her and fictional interpretations and visualizations of people in various situations. Making careful selections from her collection of photos, postcards, and other images, Ottinger puts together visual notebooks which she uses as scripts for her films. Such “scrapbooks” may include photo sessions with friends and actors, portraits, pictures, and documents collected while travelling through Asia and Eastern Europe. The exhibition at Witte de With will evoke the extensive research undertaken by Ulrike Ottinger before shooting a film by showing selections related to early films such as Superbia – The Pride (1986) and Usinimage (1987), as well as to more recent work such as Southeast Passage (2002). Publication: An overview of Ulrike Ottinger’s work will be published in collaboration with Cantz Verlag in autumn 2004. Opening of the Ulrike Ottinger exhibition: Thursday, 22 January 2004, 7-9 p.m. (simultaneously with Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Nederlands Fotomuseum, the Goethe Institute, galerie RAM, TENT., and V2. CBK and IFFR have organized a screening of Cai Guo-Qiang in the Lantaren/Venster theater at 6 p.m.) Press photos: www.wdw.nl/persfoto/ottinger
JORDAN CRANDALL UNDER FIRE January 24 – December 2004 As part of the Work in Transit programme, Jordan Crandall’s project Under Fire will be launched on 24 January 2004. Using online discussions, public events, and a series of publications, Crandall investigates the relationship between the arms industry, terrorism, and the representation of violence. The project researches images in both commercial and independent news media-, literary, and more popular sources in Western and Middle Eastern media. On several occasions there will be discussions with individuals of various nationalities and backgrounds who are active in politics, cultural theory, art, and journalism. The participantsants in the first discussion are Asef Bayat, Susan BuckMorss, Hamid Dabashi, and Gema Martin Munõz. The project can be found on www.wdw.nl and will be displayed on the second floor of Witte de With. Opening of the Jordan Crandall presentation: Saturday 24, 5.30 pm. Under Fire is produced by Witte de With in association with the V2_Organization and is also part of Power: Play, IFFR’s Exploding Cinema program.
NASRIN TABATABAI NEWS FROM TEHRAN 1 7 – 29 February 2004 News from Tehran 1 is also being presented within the framework of the Work in Transit program: a presentation of work and research drawn from contemporary artistic and cultural practice in Iran. The presentation is curated by Nasrin Tabatabai in association with Babak Afrassiabi in an exchange wit Iranian artists from various disciplines and from a range of backgrounds. The project is part of a wider-ranging study into forms of artistic expression in Iranian society. The selected works and videos expose the stark social, political, and cultural contradictions in this society. News from Tehran 1 presents video works by Kiarash Anvari, Javad Emami, Kambiz Ghavamzadeh, Pirooz Kalantari, Bahaman Kiarostami, Nahid Rezaei, and others, as well as ‘work in progress’ by the Arta Group. The News from Tehran 1 presentation coincides with the publication of the first issue of the bilingual (English/Farsi) periodical Pages. With special thanks to Dr. Ali Reza Sami Azar (director) and Sharareh Salehi of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. Opening hours: Thursday to Sunday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. During the IFFR, Witte de With is also open on Monday, 26 January. Admission: € 2.30 (Witte de With and TENT.) – MJK/Rotterdampas discount € 1.10 – children under 16 free. Witte de With, centre for contemporary art, Witte de Withstraat 50, 3012 BR Rotterdam Tel. +31 (0)10-411 0144, fax +31 (0)10-411 7924, e-mail: info@wdw.nl Further information: www.wdw.nl. Press contact: Ramón Mosterd