“Manic inventing”? Karl Hans Janke’s life was a struggle
against the consequences of this medical diagnosis. More than 2500 drawings
document his inventions of atomic propulsion models, domestic lamps that
collect steric energy, and spaceships that fly without the need for energy
at all. Janke did not want to be an artist, and he plagued every institution
he could find, from the Academy of Sciences to the Ministry of Trade
and Supplies, with requests to promote and to realise his world-changing
innovations. His sketches were so authoritative in their precision that
people hesitated to reject his work. And so Janke collected statements
from the scientific world besides his own “engineer’s” papers.
What could not adequately console Janke is now the object of a large-scale
retrospective at Künstlerhaus Bethanien: the artistic quality of
an oeuvre that was not intended as fiction and yet, without doubt, represents
a fascinating narrative. (14th June – 6th July 2003)
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| In the run-up to a tour of Europe
starting in July 2003 by his band “The Histrionics”, Danius Kesminas
is presenting their latest album “Never Mind the Pollocks”. Among
the many Australian cover bands, The Histrionics are the only Concept Art ‘cover
band’. For Never Mind the Pollocks, the band has professionally covered
famous rock classics, whereby Danius Kesminas - the creative director, lead
singer and manager of the band - has added new texts to music remaining true
to the original. Partly critical, partly ironic, these texts take up theoretical
questions concerning the art world. (14th – 29th June 2003) |
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| In his exhibition at the Künstlerhaus,
Gardar Eide Einarsson attempts to develop political potential by defining the
praxis of opposition as political, personal everyday life: the works range
from minimalist-inspired skateboard obstacles to supposed expressions of anger
and outrage in the form of fake graffiti. (14th – 29th June 2003) |
| In 2003, Philip Morris Art Sponsors
endowed the first fellowship for curatorial work at the Künstlerhaus.
In the future, curators will have the opportunity to develop a project during
six months residence at the Künstlerhaus. |
| An international jury of experts has
selected the Spanish curator Montse Badia - an art critic and curator working
in Barcelona - to receive this fellowship in 2003. Montse Badia has already
begun her work at Künstlerhaus Bethanien. |
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VENICE, 2nd June. Michael Stevenson’s Trekka is almost set
up in Venice; now the team from New Zealand is also preparing for
the opening of the exhibition and completing the artistic, aesthetic
marketing for the presentation of Stevenson’s vehicle hybrid
to the world’s public at the 50th Biennial. >> more
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At the Media Art Days in Bad Ems,
the thesis of the end of Net Art as a social movement triggered a discussion
about theoretical impatience and political commitment in the handling of media
art. The reader published by the Media Arts Lab at the Künstlerhaus is
still available.
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Two participants in this year’s international
studio programme of Künstlerhaus Bethanien have been invited to the
50th Venice Biennial. Heman Chong from Singapore (*1977)
will be presenting his biennial project “Murmurmurmur-
murmur (Venezia-
AccademiaRemix)” in the Singapore Pavilion in the Fondazione Levi/
Palazzo Giustinian-Lolin, San Vidal – Venice.
For the first time in Europe, Michael Stevenson from
New Zealand (*1964) will be exhibiting the Trekka - a multi-purpose
vehicle from New Zealand based on the Czech Skoda chassis - as
his contribution to the biennial.
(New Zealand Pavilion: La Maddalena,
Campo della Maddalena,
Cannaregio)
www.labiennale.org
www.nzatvenice.com |
